Double Cross (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
by sammy1026
Summary: The team sets out to catch a murderer but finds themselves enmeshed in something much larger that threatens to take down two of their own.
1. Chapter 1

_**Sammy's Notes:**__So, so, so many people to thank. First and foremost to Mari and ilna, who have done far more than their share of writing and posting while I attempted to wrestle this fic into shape. I'm certainly not complaining because I adore reading their stories, still I appreciate them taking up my slack. You girls are the absolute BEST! I certainly couldn't have completed this fic without your help, support, patience and encouragement. There are no two people I'd rather be taking this journey with and I hope I've managed to make it clear to each of you how truly special you are and how much I value your friendship._

_Thanks to Sandy for more reasons than I could possibly list. And for always knowing the perfect advice to give to make every story better._

_My goal when I started this fic was to write a 100 page story to celebrate 100 people signing up for The REAL World mailing list. But along the way it became much more than that. It became a way to say THANK YOU for all of your kind words, your reviews, your DMs, your twitter comments and your emails. A way to hopefully let you know how very much I appreciate your support and encouragement as well as the way you have embraced The Real World with your whole hearts and your infectious enthusiasm. As things went on my goal became to write a story worthy of you—The Real Worlders. I hope I've managed to do that. I can assure I've never worked harder on a fic._

_To all of my Guest reviewers—please know that every comment is read and appreciated._

_The final length on this one looks to be about 148 pages. So you're going to get an extra-long chapter every day this week with the final one posted on Friday._

**Double Cross-Chapter 1**

**Warehouse District**

**Honolulu**

**Friday 5:30 A.M.**

Steve and Danny stood quietly in the far corner of a dark, now empty warehouse that just hours earlier was the scene of a loud and vibrant underground party attended mostly by people under the age of twenty-one. Directly to their left, on a platform raised some six feet in the air, was a mangled DJ set-up which had been abandoned in the chaos when everything started to go wrong. The multiple turntables, along with several large speakers and a number of tall light towers, were knocked over and trampled during the panic and confusion as a mass of frightened partygoers attempted to get to the nearest exit.

The stained concrete floor was littered with beer bottles and plastic cups as well as purses, lighters, glostix, and even shoes that were left behind without a second thought as the estimated thousand or so people attending the party searched frantically for an exit with only one thought in mind—get away.

Small blood stains dotted the floor, the remnants of injuries suffered in the crush. There were squares of bloody gauze tossed haphazardly beside torn bandage wrappers. They were left by paramedics working as quickly as possible to stabilize victims and get them on their way to a local hospital for treatment. As soon as one young victim was dispatched the over-worked emergency personnel moved on to the next.

Initial estimates were that over one hundred young people had been transported for treatment.

At the opposite end of the room lay two bodies covered by gray tarps. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene by a local ER doctor who rushed to the warehouse to help as reports rolled in that the situation was worsening. Max was currently conducting his preliminary investigation, aided by several large flood lamps brought in by HPD to help illuminate the cavernous space.

The stench of stale beer, vomit, perspiration and death was almost unbearable.

As far as the team could gather from talking to officers on the scene when they first arrived, the police and paramedics were summoned to the warehouse sometime right before 1:00 A.M. Initial calls for help were vague. The last thing any of the partygoers, most of them under the legal drinking age, wanted was to draw police attention. But when it became clear what was going on was something far more serious than just an isolated overdose, the calls began to flow in.

Initially the 911 operators fielded reports that multiple partygoers were having unexplained seizures. Under further questioning, several of the panicked callers admitted there was heavy drug use going on and that the party was being held at an unlicensed venue. By the time local law enforcement arrived the number of people in distress was well over fifty and more were falling ill with each passing minute. They called in every available paramedic, put all the hospitals on the island on alert, and began stabilizing and transporting victims as quickly as they could.

When word filtered back from the hospitals that at least three other young people had died, in addition to those dead at the scene, and that the casualty count was very likely to grow, the local police notified Five-0. The team arrived at the warehouse around 3:30 A.M. and found that most of the frightened partygoers had cleared out and those who remained were, for the most part, too overwrought to be of much help.

Steve and Danny talked to the first officers on the scene, attempting to get a handle on the timeline of events while Chin and Kono did preliminary interviews with some of more coherent witnesses still present in an effort to compile a list of everyone who was in the warehouse when the party began to spiral out of control. The one piece of information they wanted most of all was the name of the person responsible for organizing the party. Determining who was in charge would give them their best chance of finding out who provided the drugs.

Catherine was dispatched to check out the multiple hospitals that had received casualties and gather any information she could on the number and identity of the victims. She also wanted to find out if any of the less injured had information about exactly what happened in the moments before the panic erupted or if they knew anything that might help determine who was in charge of the event.

Steve and Danny observed that the bodies of the two young people who died at the scene were now being loaded onto gurneys for transport and figured Max must be wrapping up his preliminary examinations. They needed his initial report to help point the investigation in the right direction. They assumed the deaths were somehow drug related but they wanted the Medical Examiner to confirm that, if possible, as well as to provide an assessment of whether the deaths were a result of accidental overdose or something more serious.

While the team waited to hear what Max had to say, and they had learned over time there was no use in trying to rush his findings, Chin and Kono finished their preliminary interviews with the remaining partygoers. The young people huddled together in the parking lot as dawn broke, most of them exhausted and frightened, crying and shaking, and wanting nothing more than to go home.

Unfortunately that wasn't going to be possible until they made a stop at HPD to give their statements.

Experience had taught the law enforcement officers involved that no matter how sympathetic they felt toward the emotionally overwhelmed witnesses, they simply could not allow them go home, talk to their friends, talk to their families, watch news reports and then come to the station in the morning to make their statements. At that point their recollections would not only be far less reliable but there was a much greater chance they would be influenced by the thoughts and opinions of people who weren't even present at the party. As painful as it was, and as cruel as it felt to put them through it so soon after everything they had witnessed, it needed to be done.

"The best estimate is that there were 800-1000 people here when the trouble started," Chin reported as he and Kono made their way across the warehouse to where Steve and Danny were standing. "Most of them under twenty-one years old. A disturbing number of them under eighteen. They all claim not to know who was actually throwing the party. Word spread via text and social media over the last couple of days. The actual location wasn't revealed until about 7 P.M. last night. Each partygoer paid a $25 cover charge."

"Do we have a guest list?" Danny asked.

"Not a complete one," Kono said, "but we're working on it. Duke says they've already transported a hundred and seven people to the police station to make statements. There are thirty-five more outside waiting their turn. We're hoping to get more names from them once we get a chance to question them more thoroughly."

"If this whole thing was organized on social media can't we get the names of the people in charge there," Danny asked.

"It's not quite that easy." Chin shook his head. "The people who organize these things don't want their names to be common knowledge for obvious reasons. Unlicensed venue, underage drinking, rampant drug use. They don't really need to advertise though. They count on the potential partygoers to spread the word and help build buzz. In lots of cases they only show up long enough to pick up the cash and then they disappear till the next party."

"Kono," Steve said, "why don't you and Chin head down to HPD and help with the interviews. Maybe some of these people will give you access to their phones. If you can trace the party related activity back to the source maybe we can get a lead on who organized this thing."

"Will do," she said as she stifled a yawn. "We'll let you know if we find anything."

Kono and Chin turned and made their way towards the exit. Halfway there they passed a grim-faced Max on his way to give Steve and Danny his initial assessment of cause of death. He never looked up or even acknowledged their presence even as they passed within inches of each other.

"What have you got for us?" Steve asked as Max got closer.

The medical examiner was staring so intently at the clipboard in his hands he almost walked straight into Danny.

"Whoa there," Danny said as he put his hands up in front of him.

Finally Max looked up, almost as if he was noticing the men for the first time.

"We have a most disturbing situation here, Commander," he said, his lips in a tight scowl, his attention returning to the notes scribbled on his clipboard.

After a few beats of silence Danny asked, "Care to elaborate a little on that?"

"Oh, of course, Detective Williams. The two bodies I examined definitely appear to have succumbed to poisoning."

"Poisoning? Not an overdose?" Danny asked, confused.

"Most definitely poisoning. More specifically, both victims showed signs of cyanide poisoning. Cherry red skin coloration on the hands and face as well as changes in the fingernails and toenails. Both victims also had the unmistakable smell of almonds in their mouths. Which as you know is the most identifiable sign of cyanide poisoning."

"So are you saying someone poisoned all these people with cyanide," Steve asked.

"Not exactly," Max answered matter-of-factly. "We also found heavy traces of cocaine in the secretions on and around the bodies. It appears the cocaine they ingested had been tampered with."

"So there was cyanide mixed with their cocaine?"

"It appears that way," Max said, dropping his hands to his sides and finally focusing his full attention on Steve and Danny.

"Have you ever heard of that before?" Danny asked as he looked first at Max then Steve. "I mean I've heard of a lot of things being mixed with cocaine to stretch it out and make more money for the scumbag dealers, but cyanide? That's a new one on me."

"This is a unique case for me as well," Max nodded. "Cyanide itself is both unstable and expensive. It makes very little sense to use it as a filler to stretch cocaine."

"Do you think there's a chance whoever tampered with the drugs didn't know what they were using as filler?" Steve asked.

Max shook his head. "Unlikely. My initial assessment indicates death came very quickly. I'm guessing the mixture was at least fifty percent cyanide. Anyone using that particular poison in that quantity would know exactly what they were doing."

"Ok," Steve exhaled heavily, "get me a preliminary report as soon as you can please."

"Of course, Commander." Max said and with a cursory goodbye nod he turned and followed the gurneys being pushed by technicians out the door and towards the waiting ME's van.

"Not much else we can do here," Danny sighed as he watched the retreating forms of Max and his team. "We might as well head back to the office. By the time we get there maybe we'll have the names of the victims and some more information from the guest list. At least it'll be a place to start."

"Sounds good," Steve said as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "Let's stop and grab some breakfast on the way. I'll call Catherine and tell her to meet us at the office as soon as she's done at the hospital."

"Works for me." Danny sighed as he rubbed his palms over his tired eyes and decided a strong cup of coffee would certainly do him a world of good.

Steve pressed number one on his speed dial and as he waited for Catherine to pick up he and Danny made their way across the warehouse, careful not to disturb any of the hundreds of evidence markers dotting the floor, and stepped outside into the early morning light. Each automatically took a deep breath of the fresh Hawaiian air.

"Hey," Catherine answered sedately.

"Hey." Steve could tell immediately by the sound of her voice the news from the hospital wasn't good. "How are things going there?"

"Pretty bad." She took a deep breath. "There've been more deaths. We're up to nine now. And there are a couple more people in extremely critical condition so there's a good chance that number will go even higher."

"Do you have the names of the victims? Chin says the party was organized mostly through social media so if we get the names we might be able to trace their account activity."

"Yeah, I'll text them over to you."

"Thanks. We'll make sure HPD notifies the families." Steve reached in his pocket and pulled out the keys to Danny's car.

"Some of the parents and family members are starting to show up here," Catherine said as Steve heard a definite flurry of activity in the background. "They're getting frantic calls from friends of the people who were at the party telling them about what happened. It's absolute chaos here."

"Do you need more bodies to help with crowd control?" Steve asked, concerned events might quickly get out of hand.

"Thanks. That would be a help." Catherine stepped around the corner to a quieter location. "No one appears to be dangerous or threatening they're just … desperate you know? They're scared and they want answers. So far hospital security is doing okay but I'm not sure they can handle much more of a crowd."

"We'll call Duke and have him send some officers down." Steve motioned across the top of the car to Danny who had overheard his side of the conversation and immediately dialed Duke to ask him to send some extra manpower to the hospitals currently treating victims.

"Tell them to come in … well just … ask them to be as non-confrontational as possible. These people are panicked. They're looking for information on their loved ones. They aren't even sure they're at the right hospital. Just … ask Duke to ask them to keep that in mind."

"We will," Steve promised her as he mouthed 'no lights or sirens' to Danny.

"Any word on who the organizers are?" Catherine asked hopefully. She knew getting the names of the people in charge would be vital to finding out who was responsible for the carnage at the warehouse and the human misery playing out in front of her.

"Not yet," Steve said. "But we're working on it."

"OK. I'll see if I can get anything from anyone here but I have a feeling they're all too raw right now. I'm not sure they'd even realize it if they did know something."

"I understand. It's just … I hate to ask you to even question them, Cath … but you know how these things go. These guys are probably packing up and getting ready to head out of town as we speak. We don't have much time to identify them."

"I'll do my best," Catherine said with her typical determination. "As soon as I'm done here I'll head over to Haleiwa and Straub. They both received victims as well."

"Thanks, Cath."

"Don't thank me till you see if I actually come back with any useful information."

"Hey, you ok?" Steve asked, worry evident in his voice. He knew Catherine was strong but cases involving young victims were always hard. And she was getting a more up close view of the misery this time than any of the rest of the team.

"I'm fine. I'm just … this sucks you know?"

"I know," he said softly.

"The last two victims were only seventeen and nineteen. Brothers. I was standing across the room when the doctors told their parents. It was … I mean I can't even imagine …" Cath's voice trailed off and Steve could tell she was having trouble keeping her emotions in check.

"We're gonna catch who did this," he said with resolve.

"I know," Catherine said with a matching tone. "I'll meet you back at headquarters later."

"Ok, call if you need anything. I mean anything," Steve said softly.

"Thanks. You too."

Steve disconnected the call and dropped his phone into his pocket with a sigh.

"Everything ok," Danny asked as he opened the passenger's door and got into the car.

"Yeah," Steve said somewhat distractedly as he took his seat behind the wheel. "Things at the hospital are just … tough."

"I'll bet," Danny said sympathetically.

"There are nine dead now and Cath said the doctors think that number is likely to rise. She's gonna meet us back at the office after she hits all the hospitals that received victims."

"Well let's hope by the time she gets back we can tell her we have a lead on who's responsible."

* * *

**Five-0 Headquarters**

**Friday 11:30 A.M.**

Six hours later an exhausted Chin and Kono returned from HPD with a partial list of the partygoers and a few vague leads on who might have organized the event. They were amazed at the number of young people who would pay money, enter a party in an abandoned warehouse, and then drink the provided liquor and in some cases use the provided drugs, without even a question.

Frankly it seemed surprising this kind of nightmare didn't happen more often.

As they entered the bullpen carrying a drink tray filled with paper cups of strong take-out coffee the cousins saw Steve and Danny standing at the smart table, deep in conversation. As they got closer they realized the two men were reviewing all the available information on those already confirmed dead. The names arrived at HPD while they were in the middle of interviewing partygoers and Duke immediately dispatched officers to do family notifications.

The oldest of the victims at this point was twenty-one and the youngest was seventeen. Three females and six males. Two of them were brothers but from what Danny and Steve were able to find out so far, none of the rest of them had ever met before their fates collided last night in the warehouse.

Chin and Kono added their new information to the mix and the four team members began looking for that one piece of evidence that might lead them to the whereabouts of the party organizers and/or whoever provided the tainted drugs. According to Chin and Kono they interviewed several partygoers at HPD who were clearly high, and when pressured admitted they had ingested drugs at the party that they had also acquired there, and yet they showed no signs of poisoning.

"So … what we're thinking here is that … what … only some of the drugs were poisoned?" Danny asked.

"Apparently," Kono nodded.

"If it was intentional why only poison some of the drugs?" Steve asked as he stared at the names and faces on the overhead screens as though one of them might actually speak to him. He heard the door open behind him he turned just in time to see Catherine enter the bullpen.

She looked exhausted. Her hair was falling out of the ponytail she had hastily put it up in hours before when the call summoning them to the warehouse came in. Steve noticed, and he wasn't sure any of the others did, that there was a damp spot on the front of Catherine's tank top. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he realized at some point she put the cop in her to the side and comforted grieving parents.

The proof was in the tears they left on her shirt.

Her caring heart, and her willingness to share it with others, was one of the things Steve admired most about Catherine.

"Hey," he said, meeting her eyes as she approached the group and stood beside him. "You ok?" He reached out and touched her forearm lightly, letting his fingers linger there.

"I'm fine," she smiled wanly. "Long morning. Any luck identifying the party throwers?"

"We've narrowed it down to a couple dozen names," Chin said as he indicated the pictures on the overhead screens. "These are the people who seemed to generate the original social media traffic. We're thinking one of them, or a few of them, must be the organizers."

"I may be able to help narrow it down even further," Catherine said tiredly.

"How," Danny asked.

He was desperate for any lead that might point them in the right direction on this case.

Catherine reached in her pocket and removed a cell phone. "A woman named Caroline Hidalgo gave me this. It was in her son Sean's possessions when the paramedics turned them over to her. It's a second cell phone. She said she knows this isn't his primary phone and she never even remembers seeing it before a few days ago. He's 20 years old. She said she thinks he might be one of the organizers. Or at least he might know who they are."

"Is he … ?" Kono glanced at the names of the victims.

"He's in bad shape but he's still alive," Catherine answered, then cleared her throat against a wave of emotion.

As she fought to keep the tears at bay she felt Steve take a half a step towards her in an effort to provide both physical and emotional support. She leaned her hip slightly to the left, making contact with his, letting him know non-verbally how much she appreciated his actions.

"Does he have a record? "Chin asked as he began searching the HPD database.

"Nothing serious according to his mother," Catherine answered. "A few underage drinking arrests and one public drunkenness. She raised him by herself after his father went to prison for attempted murder and drug running. Money was always tight but he was a good student and he got a scholarship to HSU. She was hoping he was gonna break the cycle and make something of himself."

"I sense a but …" Danny said hesitantly.

"But," Catherine exhaled, "he dropped out of college after one year. He started spending time with her ex's family. Went to visit his dad in jail several times. She tried to talk to him about it but he shut down and accused her of trying to keep him away from his father."

"What happened after he dropped out?" Steve asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"She said he became extremely uncommunicative and she didn't know exactly what he was involved in but he always seemed to have lots of extra money. When she went to pay this month's rent the landlord told her Sean had already paid for six months in advance."

"Did she question him about where the money came from?" Kono asked.

"She hasn't had a chance yet. When she went back to the apartment after talking to the landlord he was on the phone. She said she could tell he was talking to his friends and it seemed like they were planning something. She tried to ask him about the rent and he said they'd talk later. The next time she saw him he was in the hospital with a tube down his throat."

Chin held out his hand and Catherine passed him the phone. "This is great, Cath. I can find out who he's been talking to and maybe get some good leads."

"As soon as the paramedics gave Caroline her son's possessions she came and found me and gave me the phone. She said she knows her son made some mistakes but he never would have been involved in poisoning anyone. I told her you were the best and if anyone could get information that might help solve this case from the phone you could."

"I'll do my best," Chin smiled softly before turning and heading for his office.

"She has two other younger sons," Catherine looked at the others. "They're both teenagers. She's terrified the same kind of thing is going to happen to them. She's just trying to protect her family."

Danny nodded. He could tell that Catherine was affected by her conversation with the boy's mother. "So if Sean Hidalgo _was _one of the organizers I think we can safely assume either he didn't provide the drugs, or he didn't know they were tainted."

"It would certainly appear that way," Steve agreed.

"So then who did provide them?" Kono asked.

"That's an interesting question. I think we may be able to help with that," said a voice from the other side of the room.

The team turned and saw two federal agents standing across the office, just inside the glass doors. One was a genial looking middle aged man, slightly balding with a bushy mustache. The other was a slightly younger woman, average build, with her blonde hair pulled back in a severe ponytail. Both were dressed in the typical ensemble of a federal field agent. Black shirt, black pants and a dark colored windbreaker style jacket emblazoned with the letters representing their particular organization, in this case DEA.

"Is that so?" Steve asked as he took two steps in their direction. "And you are?"

"Agent Jack Schmidt from the DEA," the man replied as he crossed the room to shake Steve's hand. "This is my partner Riley Winstead."

"Danny Williams, Kono Kalakaua, Catherine Rollins," Steve said, pointing to each team member in turn. "And I'm Steve McGarrett."

"Nice to meet you all," Schmidt said jovially. "Your reputation precedes you. Of course we've seen the show … "

"You said you have some information on this case," Danny cut the man off impatiently. The very last thing he wanted at this point was to waste time talking about that television show.

"We might," Schmidt refocused his attention. "I apologize for the dramatic entrance but we were in LA and as soon as we heard about this case we jumped on the first plane. We've been working on a string of cases with similar MOs all over the United States."

"You believe ours might be related?" Catherine asked.

"It certainly has all the hallmarks. But actually, Agent Winstead has been on this case since the beginning. I only joined six weeks ago. So I'll let her fill you in."

Riley Winstead turned to face the members of the Five-O team, none of whom looked especially enthusiastic about having their territory invaded by the feds. "The first incident we know of took place in NYC about four years ago. The story is always pretty much the same. Pop-up underground party in a non-licensed location, word spreads through social media, tainted drugs get introduced and death and pandemonium follow. There were four deaths in that first case. There have been a total of fifty-one others, not counting last night's incident."

Catherine's phone buzzed as Steve said, "We have nine dead here."

"Ten," she said softly. "Sean Hidalgo just died. I got a text from his mother."

"I'm sorry," Steve squeezed her hand then draped his arm around her shoulders, not caring that people were watching. They generally avoided PDAs, especially on duty, but the most important thing to him in that moment was being a comfort to Catherine.

"Thanks," she met his eyes and smiled softly.

Agents Schmidt and Winstead took note of the interesting dynamics at play between the two team members as well as the fact that their behavior seemed to be of no surprise at all to the others in the room.

"Sean Hidalgo?" Agent Schmidt asked, breaking the moment between Steve and Catherine and bringing everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

"We think he may have been one of the organizers. He was 20 years old," Catherine said. "His mom said that recently he seemed to have a lot of extra money. She was worried he was into something illegal."

"Well," Riley Winstead chimed in, "he probably was."

"Agent Winstead …" Catherine began testily.

Steve took note at the way Catherine bristled at the words from the female agent.

"Call me Riley, please," the woman cut in. "And forgive me for being so blunt. Maybe this young man just got in over his head. I have no idea whether he was trouble or not. But I do know I've investigated eleven of these cases and they all follow a very similar pattern."

"Which is?" Catherine crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at Riley Winstead. She knew the agent was only trying to help, and that she hadn't spent time with Caroline Hidalgo and didn't have the same emotional attachment Catherine did, but still she couldn't help but be slightly irritated by the agent's tone.

"Our perps move into a new location and make contact with a small time local hood or drug dealer looking to move up in the world. They make all kinds of promises about unlimited wealth and pump the guy up till he's ready to do anything he's asked," Riley explained.

"But how does that end up in dead partygoers?" Kono asked.

"That's a good question," Riley nodded. "In ten of the previous cases the party organizers have been among the dead. We were never able to talk to anyone who could give us any kind of lead on where the tainted drugs may have come from. But two cases ago, in Dallas, we caught a break."

"How so?" Steve asked.

"One of the guys who organized the party, a man named Gus Whitcomb, lived forty-eight hours after being poisoned. He was in bad shape but he was willing to talk."

"And what did he tell you?" Danny asked, eager to push the conversation along and get to the point.

Agent Schmidt picked up the story. "Gus Whitcomb said he was approached by someone looking to move a large amount of drugs. Said the guy was foreign. Russian he thought. But the only name he ever got was Makarovich. The guy said he already had all the distribution channels in place. All he needed was a front man. Someone who could create the right atmosphere for him to move the drugs around unnoticed."

"Let me guess … underground parties," Danny said.

"Exactly," Schmidt pointed at Danny. "He said the first few parties went fine and after each one he was handed twenty thousand dollars in cash and told to wait for the next call. Which he did."

"So what went wrong," Catherine asked.

"At the last party, Makarovich showed up and said he wanted to reward Whitcomb for a job well done. He told him to take a little free product and pass it out to the crowd. But to make sure he tried it himself first."

"And it was tainted." Danny stated the obvious.

"Yes it was. But by the time Gus Whitcomb figured it out it was too late and a lot of people were dead," Schmidt said.

"Why would Makarovich do something like if he had a good thing going? Why poison his customers?" Kono questioned.

"Here's where the break comes in," Agent Winstead continued. "Once Gus started to get sick he had a feeling the drugs might have been laced with something. So he went looking for Makarovich. He found him in a back office but Gus was too weak to confront him and passed out in the hall. While he was laying there he heard Makarovich talking on the phone. He couldn't tell who was on the other end but Makarovich saying how he needed to make sure the local police were distracted so he could go ahead and make an even bigger score."

"A bigger score?" Steve asked. "What kind of bigger score?"

"Whitcomb was very clear about that specific detail so once we heard that," Riley said, "we went back and checked police reports in every city with previous partygoer deaths. In each case we found out there was a major shipment of cocaine moved through the city within a week of the event. Local cops were so busy trying to solve the first case the second one slipped through with no problem."

"Every single time," Schmidt said, pounding his fist in his hand, "Makarovich, and whoever he's working with, knew exactly when to move the shipment to make sure he wasn't caught. One time it was during the funeral for one of the victims who was a police officer's son. Another time it was during a press conference where the police commissioner announced a new drug crime initiative. In Dallas it was during a massive citywide canvas for information on the underground party scene. In every case the police were distracted elsewhere."

Steve took a deep breath. "So how long do we have? What's our window look like?"

"A couple of days to a week," Riley said. "Tops."

Chin re-entered the bullpen and made his way to the smart table. Steve introduced him to the DEA agents and Chin smiled politely then began to detail what he found on Sean Hidalgo's phone.

"I managed to get three numbers off the phone that Sean Hidalgo called frequently in the days before the party. When I say frequently I mean over twenty times each. One of them is his best friend, who is also among the casualties, but two of them are random burner phones."

"It figures," Agent Schmidt said. "In every case so far there's been heavy use of burner phones. They're of no help."

"That's not necessarily true," Catherine said. "Maybe we can use them to make contact. They may still be operational, especially if Makarovich doesn't know Sean Hidalgo is dead yet."

"It's a long shot," Steve said, turning towards Catherine and automatically picking up on exactly what she was thinking.

"But right now it's the only chance we have," she pointed out.

"So what would the best approach would be?" Steve slipped seamlessly into planning mode, letting Catherine take the lead.

"We call the guy. Convince him we were Sean Hidalgo's silent partners. Tell him we know everything," she said, formulating the plan in her head as she went.

"It could work." Steve looked at her intently and they seemed to be having an entire conversation without speaking a word.

"It's our best chance to stop these guys before they move on to another city and more people die," Catherine said determinedly, excited at the thought they may actually catch Makarovich and not only put an end to all the deaths but help bring some peace to Caroline Hidalgo and the other grieving parents.

"What are you two … no … this is insane," Danny shook his head vigorously. "Did you not hear them say that every person who has done business with this guy is dead?"

"No," Catherine responded evenly, never breaking eye contact with Steve, "he said every one of the party organizers is dead. Not the people involved in the second deal."

"That's a pretty minor distinction," Danny huffed loudly.

"These people succeed because they manage to distract law enforcement and slip the second shipment through right under their noses. This time will be different. This time we'll be the ones in control," Catherine said.

"If you can convince them you're bigger players than Sean was, and that you can handle a much bigger shipment, you might flush the big bosses out and we can take the whole operation down in one fell swoop," Chin said, catching on to Catherine's growing enthusiasm.

"You're not helping," Danny glared at him.

"They're right, brah," Kono sided with the others. "Who knows when we'll ever get another chance like this? We can not only make someone pay for the deaths here on the island but prevent more deaths wherever they're planning to move on to next."

"We have a chance to end this here and now," Catherine said firmly.

"We?" Danny's voice got more heated. "The two of you." He pointed between Steve and Catherine. "I've heard hare-brained ideas before … though usually from Steve more often than from you …but this just may take the cake."

"We know what we're doing Danny," Steve said calmly. "Besides Cath and I may be the ones to make contact but when we say 'we' can take down this operation that means all of us. This is going to require teamwork."

"This is nuts. The two of you are nuts." Danny crossed his arms over his chest and refused to look at either of his friends.

"Listen, Danny," Catherine turned and placed a hand on her friend's forearm. She waited until he acquiesced and raised his eyes to hers before continuing. "I was with Caroline Hidalgo today when the doctors told her there wasn't much of a chance her son would survive. I saw the life go out of her. And I made her a promise. That I'd do everything I possibly could to find the people who did this to her son."

"Her son was a drug dealer," Danny argued.

"I know. But he was her son. And he wasn't always a drug dealer. And she loved him. And he didn't deserve to be killed just so that these monsters could distract the police and make a bigger score."

"Catherine … " Danny understood her position but still hated the thought of his friends embarking on such a dangerous mission.

"I'm not naïve, Danny. I've seen a lot of death. Both soldiers and civilians. But at those hospitals this morning, seeing and talking to those devastated parents and friends and loved ones … this was all so senseless. And now that I know it was all done just to cover up another crime?"

"There's no talking you out of this is there?" Danny was starting to give in.

"No. I'm gonna keep my promise to Caroline Hidalgo one way or the other. But I'll feel much better about everything if we have your help and support."

Danny looked in her eyes. "Ok, well then we better come up with a damn good plan because there's no way the two of you are going anywhere near this if we can't figure out a way to reduce the risk."

* * *

**Five-0 Headquarters**

**Friday 1:45 P.M.**

After an hour of tossing ideas back and forth about the best way to approach Makarovich, with agents Schmidt and Winstead adding suggestions based on their experience with previous cases, the Five-O team settled on the course of action they thought stood the best chance of success.

Catherine would use the burner phone to attempt to make contact with Makarovich. Once that happened, she would convince him that she and Steve, posing as drug dealers, were the best people on the island to help him make that big second score. They were going to use his own greed to trap him, the same way he trapped the people he recruited to act as party planners.

There were two unidentified numbers on Sean Hidalgo's phone that he called repeatedly in the days leading up to the party. One was called fifteen times, the other over thirty. Catherine decided to try the lesser called number on the theory that Hidalgo would probably not have bothered the big boss more often than necessary.

"How are you planning to get him to talk to you?" Schmidt asked. "These things can be tricky."

Catherine smiled patiently. She knew the agent was trying to be helpful but she didn't need Jack Schmidt to tell her how to handle the initial contact. "I think the direct approach is the best. I'll tell them Sean was working for us as well," she pointed between Steve and herself, "and that he told us everything he knew about Makarovich's operation. Specifically how they already have a distribution system in place. I'll explain that we believe our strong supply line combined with their on-the-ground contacts could make us all very rich."

"Be careful not to push too hard," Schmidt said.

"Don't worry about Catherine," Steve said, holding up his hand to forestall any more of Schmidt's helpful advice. "She's handled dozens of operations trickier than this. She's got this."

Catherine smiled at him.

"The only issue we might have is coming up with actual drugs to use," she said, turning back to Agent Schmidt.

"We can get you some cocaine you can use to establish your credibility but be careful not to offer a bigger delivery than necessary because there's only so much real stuff we'll be able to provide. The rest will be fake and if they find out not only is the whole operation sunk but your lives are in very real danger."

"And not only that, what are you going to do when someone recognizes you?" Danny said, pointing out a very valid concern. "Everyone on the island knows your faces."

"Everyone involved in the second deal, outside of the supplier of course, is usually an out-of-towner," Schmidt offered. "Makarovich only uses his own people for the second job. That way once he disappears the chance of him getting caught is zero because everyone who knew him from the first job is dead and the only people who know him from the second job have as much to lose as he does. So that's probably not major concern. The chance of getting recognized is slim."

"Slim, but not zero? That's comforting," Danny groused.

"We can handle this, Danny. We'll be careful," Catherine assured him again.

"If it makes you feel better," Agent Winstead offered, "I can run a background check on any names from your past cases or experiences that might have any connection to what we know of Makarovich's operation. That way we'll have advanced warning of anyone who might potentially recognize either of you."

"Thanks very much," Danny said to the agent. "That actually _would_ make me feel better."

"So what happens once you make contact?" Chin asked. He wanted to guarantee this operation was planned down to the tiniest detail. He was determined to leave the smallest possible margin for error.

"We'll set up the deal. And you guys can take them down and make the arrests," Steve said.

"Well that sounds easy," Danny replied sarcastically. "But in the meantime, how are we gonna monitor the situation? These guys are too smart for wires or cameras. They'll have thought of all that ahead of time. Not to mention they're gonna want check the two of you out. Have you thought about how you'll get fake identities on such short notice?"

"I can help with that," Agent Schmidt said, pulling out his phone. "We have plenty of IDs that have been created and aged exactly for situations like this."

"Of course you do," Danny sighed.

"Catherine and I will take a room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for the length of the operation. We'll set up a discreet command center and run information through there," Steve said. "It'll be the perfect cover. There are too many people coming and going from that place at all hours of the day and night for Makarovich to keep track of all of them. We'll set you guys up in a room close by and you'll be right there if something goes wrong."

"Well that's great for when you're in the hotel … but what about when you leave?" Danny pressed.

Steve's phone buzzed and he said "Excuse me," as he answered. He held up one finger indicating he would be just a minute and stepped into his office to take a call from Duke, who wanted to know if they had learned anything new about who might have organized the party.

Danny followed him quietly and waited patiently till Steve ended his call, then he said, "You realize this is insane right?"

"Danny …"

"No, I'm serious. This is insane. It's a suicide mission."

"Catherine and I can handle it." Steve understood Danny's concern was but he also knew how determined Catherine was to go ahead with this mission.

There would be no dissuading her.

And there was no question but that he would be by her side every step of the way.

"These people are ruthless, Steve. They kill total strangers … most of them barely more than kids … just as a distraction. What do you think they'll do to you two if they find out you're cops?"

"I … we … appreciate your concern, Danny," Steve said honestly, "but we can handle this."

"Why the two of you? Why can't Schmidt and Winstead do it?"

"Catherine and I are trained … "

"Not for this," Danny argued.

"We have to stop these guys Danny. You heard the agents. This is the eleventh time this has happened. At least. And we've got ten dead kids here on the island. Maybe more. If we let them get away they'll just go someplace new and this will all happen all over again. We can't let that happen."

"You know what I hate?" Danny huffed, rubbing his forehead.

"What?" Steve could tell Danny was caving.

"When you make a point I can't really argue with."

"You'd think you'd be used to it by now," Steve grinned.

"What about Cammie? Have you thought about her? Who's gonna take care of her while you two are off on this little mission?"

"I thought maybe she could come and stay with you and Grace for a few days."

"Isn't 'for a few days' how you got into trouble in the first place?" Danny smiled grudgingly

"Yes, but that won't happen to you. Because we'll be back for her."

"You promise?" Danny's tone was deadly serious.

"I promise," Steve replied solemnly.

"Good."

Catherine poked her head in the office. "Everything ok?"

"Danny's just worried about us." Steve smiled at her.

"That's very sweet," Catherine returned the smile. "But we can handle this."

"So the two of you say," Danny groused.

"He's agreed to dog sit Cammie while we're gone," Steve said cheerily.

"She'll love that," Catherine was genuinely pleased.

"Well as long as Cammie is happy that's all that matters," Danny teased.

"Exactly," Steve and Catherine said in unison. "Now let's do this."

* * *

**Five-0 Headquarters**

**Friday 4:15 P.M.**

Two hours later Agent Schmidt returned from a trip to the DEA office in downtown Honolulu where he secured information on two solidly established false identities for Steve and Catherine to use for the duration of the operation.

They would be posing as Mike Pratt and Nina Quinn, mid-level dealers from LA looking to carve out a piece of the Hawaii market for themselves and secure port access to move drugs back and forth to the mainland. The hook they would use to get Makarovich interested would be their unfettered access to Afghanistan and its plentiful cocaine production forged through Pratt's old military connections.

'Mike Pratt' was born and raised in Eastern Ohio. He went to college at Ohio State where he played a little football for a year but then blew out his knee and rode the bench for another year before dropping out. After drifting for a few months he joined the Navy and served three tours in the Persian Gulf. One in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. He returned stateside in 2010 and after looking unsuccessfully for work for a year took a job with his cousin, a small time dealer in Northern California. Within six months Pratt rose to the top of the organization, supplanted his cousin and set out to expand the business. Six months after that he hooked up with Nina Quinn.

'Nina Quinn' was a classic good girl gone bad. Born and raised in Southern California she was a straight A student and the Homecoming Queen till she fell in love with a small time hood named Frank Zimmer and her whole life derailed. Zimmer did a tour in Afghanistan with the Navy before being dishonorably discharged for drug use. When he came back to the states he was looking for some quick cash to feed his habit. Nina gave up everything and went into the drug business with him and it was all downhill from there. She did a couple of short stints for robbery and assault and was a legend on the barroom brawling circuit in and around San Diego. She hooked up with Pratt two years ago, after Zimmer's death, and together they set out to merge their businesses and rise to new heights.

Agent Schmidt provided Steve and Catherine with detailed dossiers of their back stories both individually and as business partners. The three of them moved to Steve's office, along with Danny, to review the information and practice working with their new identities.

Steve was sitting at his desk, Catherine and Danny were on the couch, and Agent Schmidt was leaning against the glass wall.

As they perused the bios Steve chuckled.

"What's so funny," Danny asked.

"Well apparently Nina and I have been business partners since I killed her last partner, who also happened to be her boyfriend, in a deal gone bad."

"Really?" Catherine asked. "I haven't gotten to that part yet. I'm still stuck on the part where I was Homecoming Queen."

"Well keep reading," Steve teased. "But by the way I can totally see you as Homecoming Queen."

Catherine rolled her eyes and skimmed a few pages ahead. "So what ... you killed my boyfriend and somehow gained possession of me? Like some kind of poker game?"

Steve waggled his eyebrows. "I'm sure you won me over quickly with your charms."

"Maybe we were in cahoots. We had a secret plan to off my boyfriend so we could be together," Catherine suggested.

"We're a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde," Steve agreed.

"Are you two having fun?" Danny asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Learning the little details is easier if you create a vivid back story," Steve maintained.

"I'd feel better if I thought the two of you were taking this more seriously," Danny grumbled.

"Danny … " Steve said in a warning tone.

"Ok. I'm sorry," Danny raised his hands in surrender. "I know you're taking it seriously. I know you always take mission planning seriously."

"Thank you," Steve said. "Just because I find it funny that I offed Catherine's previous beau for a chance to have her all to myself doesn't mean I'm not taking this seriously."

Danny shook his head.

"Just stick to the facts," Agent Winstead said. He was unfamiliar with the way the team communicated and wasn't sure if this was a genuine disagreement or not. "Make sure you commit these stories to memory so there are no slip-ups."

"We will," Catherine assured him.

"Play up your connections in Afghanistan," Schmidt reminded them. "We know Makarovich has a great infrastructure on the ground to handle delivery and distribution but the one thing he seems to be lacking is a reliable supply pipeline. If he thinks you have connections at the source he'll be more likely to do business with you."

"Got it," Steve and Catherine nodded.

"Anything else specific to know about him?" Catherine asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Winstead answered. "We're not even sure Makarovich is his real name. It may just be the name he gave Gus Whitcomb. We've checked all the international crime databases, Interpol, every resource we can think of but we've come up mostly empty."

"OK then," Steve took a deep breath and let it out, "then let's find this guy and get him off the streets."

* * *

**Five-0 Headquarters**

**Friday 6:15 P.M.**

Two hours later Steve and Catherine had studied the dossiers thoroughly and been quizzed repeatedly on the details by both Agent Schmidt and Danny.

They both passed with flying colors.

They were ready to make contact.

Catherine practiced her approach several times with Steve as a sounding board and felt ready to go ahead and try the call. The team hoped a female voice on the other end of the line might intrigue Makarovich and make him less likely to hang up without at least hearing Catherine out.

"Remember," Schmidt said, "Don't sound too eager. He needs you as much as you need him."

"Got it," Catherine nodded confidently.

"And if at any time you feel like things are going bad … " Danny added.

"I'll end the call," Catherine assured him.

"Everyone ready?" Steve asked.

He was met with a chorus of "Yes."

"Equipment ready, Chin?" he asked.

Chin had routed the audio from Sean Hidalgo's burner phone, now being used by Catherine, to all their phones so they could hear what was being said. He also set up the call to tape so they could run voice recognition later if necessary.

"Ok then, everyone quiet," Steve said.

The room fell silent.

Catherine took a deep breath and dialed the number to the burner phone Sean Hidalgo called fifteen times in the two days before he died.

She waited as the phone rang four, then five, then six times.

Finally the line picked up.

"Who is this?"

Steve and Catherine smiled at each other triumphantly. The heavily accented voice on the other end of the phone told them they had reached Makarovich.

"I'm an associate of Sean Hidalgo," Catherine answered.

"Sean Hidalgo is dead."

"I know. And that's a shame," Catherine said coolly," but it doesn't mean you and I can't still do business together."

"And what kind of business would that be?" the heavily accented voice asked.

Catherine decided to take a chance.

"Let's not be coy with each other, Mr. Makarovich. Sean Hidalgo told me everything about your operation. Now clearly something went wrong the other night at his party but frankly that's not my concern."

"Nor mine. So I repeat—what kind of business?"

Steve smiled proudly. He knew Catherine had managed to catch Makarovich's interest.

Her plan was working perfectly.

"My partner and I have a large supply of high quality cocaine that needs to find its way to various locations on the mainland. We would like to move it through Hawaii. It's easier to stay under the radar of federal agents that way. We have as much supply as we could possibly want but lack an effective distribution system. We need someone to help with that."

"What makes you think that someone is me?" Makarovich asked.

"Sean Hidalgo seemed to think you have everything in place. If I was misinformed I apologize. I'll just hang up and we'll pretend this call never happened." Catherine knew she needed to appear ready to walk away or Makarovich might think she was too eager and refuse to work with them.

"Now, now … let's not be hasty. It might be worth a meeting. But how do I know I can trust you? I don't even know your name."

"My name is Nina Quinn and my partner's name is Mike Pratt. We're staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. You can reach me at the number I'm calling from for the next 24 hours. After that I'll throw the phone away and go looking elsewhere. I don't have time to waste."

Catherine looked at Steve who was nodding his approval. She was handling the call perfectly, just as he knew she would.

"Very well. Give me a little time to talk to my associates and I may get back to you."

"Fine. But don't wait too long."

Catherine hung up and looked at the others.

"He'll call back," she said confidently.

She could tell he was interested.

"Well I guess all we can do now is wait," Agent Schmidt said. "You two should go home and grab a few things then get to the hotel." He indicated Steve and Catherine. "We've already arranged your room. Your keys are waiting at the front desk.

"Sounds good," they nodded.

"The rest of us should head over to the Hilton and get organized so we're ready when things start happening. Once Makarovich calls back and sets up an initial meeting we'll lock in surveillance and such."

"I'll grab my equipment," Chin said.

"Me too." Kono echoed

"I'm gonna make a few calls and see if there's anything new on the LA investigation," Agent Winstead said. "I'll meet you at the Hilton as soon as I'm through. I'll even pick up something for dinner. Pizza ok?"

"Fine," Chin and Kono nodded.

"We'll run home, grab our things and say goodbye to Cammie. Then can you pick her up later and take her to your place or should we have the dog sitter drop her off?" Steve asked his partner.

"I can pick her up," Danny said.

"This is gonna be her first sleepover since she came to live with us. She's gonna be so excited," Catherine said happily.

Danny could help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Grace will be thrilled too."

* * *

**Five-0 Headquarters**

**Parking lot**

**Friday 6:30 P.M.**

Agent Riley Shields, a twelve-year veteran of the DEA, made her way quickly to the far end of the unfamiliar parking lot outside Iolani Palace, looked around to make sure she was alone, and then pulled out her cell phone. She leaned against a tree where she could clearly see anyone approaching unexpectedly from the building. Her partner, Agent Schmidt, along with all the members of the Five-O team, were already on their way the Hilton Hawaiian Village but she knew from experience you could never be too careful.

She lit a cigarette and dialed a familiar number.

"Yeah, it's me," she said softly when someone finally answered. "We have a problem."

"What kind of problem," the heavily accented voice on the other end of the phone asked, immediately on alert.

"That woman you just talked to, the one who claimed to know Sean Hidalgo, she's a cop."

"What?" the man on the other end accused angrily. "How could you let that happen?"

"I had no choice …"

"You're supposed to have my back. How could you let me talk to a cop?" He spat out.

"Calm down. I've got everything under control," Riley assured him, trying to keep her voice down as much as possible. The last thing they needed at this point was to attract unwanted attention.

"Just remember … if I go down you go down with me," Makarovich warned.

"Baby, you know I would never let anything bad happen to you."

"That's what you say but do you remember Dallas? We came very close to getting caught in Dallas," Makarovich accused.

"We came very close," Riley said calmly. "But we didn't. And do you remember why? Because _I _took care of Gus Whitcomb."

A mixture of anger and anxiety emanated so strongly from the man on the other end of the line Riley Shields could feel it all the way across the island. It was imperative she keep Makarovich calm in order to ensure the entire operation didn't blow up in her face. She'd worked too hard to let that happen.

And truth be told, she could understand how unnerved he was by finding out he'd been talking to a cop.

"You know I have your back," she said gently.

"I'm going to leave town tonight … " Makarovich began.

"No, you're not," she cut him off. "Now calm down and listen to me. I don't have much time. Like I said, the woman who called you is a cop and so is her partner. They work for Five-O."

"And like _I_ said I'm shutting down the whole operation and getting out of town. I'll let you know where I end up."

"No, no listen to me. You're not going anywhere. We can make this work for us. This can be _exactly _the break we've been hoping for."

"What are you talking about? How can getting involved with the cops work for us," Makarovich asked incredulously.

"These two cops aren't just any cops. They're both ex-military. Navy Intel. Plenty of Black Ops experience. And most importantly lots of connections in the Afghan region. "

"So?"

"So they're the answer to our prayers," Riley said happily. "They'll make the perfect fall guys."

"How do you figure?"

Makarovich's anger was not abating.

"We proceed as planned. Make one last big score in Hawaii. In fact, double the size of it," Riley said excitedly. "Set it up with Rodriquez just like we originally planned."

"Are you crazy?"

"No, listen to me. We don't let on that you're on to them. We let them think they're going to part of the big score. They'll be salivating at the chance to make a bust like that."

"And then what?"

Makarovich was still unsure, but he had to admit Riley's planning had never let him down in the past so he was willing to trust her if she said this could work. What happened in Dallas wasn't really her fault and she _had_ taken immediate steps to solve the problem.

"Once they're all in place, waiting for the bust, we'll do the deal with Rodriquez just like we planned and leave them empty handed."

"But they'll have met us. They'll have seen our faces."

Makarovich still wasn't seeing how this plan of Riley's could solve all their problems.

"But it won't matter," she explained, "because we're gonna leave them holding the bag."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"I told you, these two aren't just any cops. They have the kind of backgrounds I can easily use to pin this whole operation on them. Not just the Hawaii job. All the jobs. I just need a little time to set it up."

"Setting them up to take the fall sounds like something that might take more time than we have," Makarovich pointed out.

"It won't. Trust me. You just need to string them along a little. I don't know … just a day … maybe do a test run. Tell them you need a small delivery to check the quality and make sure they're reliable."

"Then what?"

"That'll give me time to plant some evidence in the old files, create a trail and make it look like they've been involved all along. It'll look like they got greedy, tried an operation too close to home and got caught. They'll go to jail forever, you can disappear back to Russia and once I'm sure the investigation is closed and will never be reopened I'll join you there, just like we always planned."

"I don't know. I don't like this," Makarovich said uncertainly.

I haven't lead you wrong in four years have I, baby?" Riley purred.

"No. I guess not," he conceded.

"And it won't happen here. I promise you. This could not have fallen into our laps more perfectly. This Rollins woman was so eager to get involved in this case and everyone saw it. She wasn't going to let anyone talk her out of it. I can use that. Make it look like she was covering her own tracks."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Treat them with kid gloves…but without giving away that we're on to them. Defer to their ideas. Let them set the agenda. Then later on it will look like you were just going along with them because they were the bosses. I'll take care of things on my end, you just take of things on yours and everything will be fine."

"You better be right about this."

"I am. Just give me a few days to create an evidence trail. If we play this right we can make it look like Dmitri Makarovich never existed. That he was created by McGarrett and Rollins to cover their 'll be free. We won't have to spend a second looking over our shoulders."

"I like the sound of that," Makarovich said.

"I thought you would."

When are you gonna call back?" he asked, his anger now a thing of the past.

"I'll call later and we can over the specific details. I promise. I love you," Riley purred.

"Love you too," Makarovich said sincerely before disconnecting the call.

Agent Shields hung up the phone with a satisfied grin and crossed the parking lot towards her rental vehicle. When she was almost to it she approached a uniformed HPD officer exiting the palace. "Excuse me, could you tell me the best place to get pizza around here?"

* * *

**McGarrett/Rollins Residence**

**Friday 7:00 P.M.**

Catherine threw her makeup bag as well as a small zippered pouch containing travel sizes of all her favorite toiletries into her duffel bag on top of her clothes and looked at Cammie who was lying on her dog bed, watching the situation unfold as if she knew something was happening and her parents were going away.

"It's only for a few days, Cammie," Catherine assured her. "We'll be back before you know it."

The furry pup continued to look up at Catherine with her head resting on her front paws.

"I'm really sorry to be leaving you so soon." Catherine abandoned her packing and knelt in front of Cammie. "We wouldn't be doing it if this wasn't very important. But we're gonna wrap this case up as fast as possible and get right back here."

Cammie continued to stare at Catherine with wide chocolate colored eyes as Steve stood in the bathroom doorway and watched the conversation unfold.

"You love Grace and Scout and Uncle Danny. You'll have fun staying with them for a few days. And there are even going to be some other people there that you've never met but I _know_ you're gonna love."

Cammie rolled over on her side and offered her belly to Catherine who obliged with a scratch before leaning over and kissing the dog on the head.

"I promise as soon as we get back I'll take you out on the beach and we'll play fetch all day if you want. Does that sound good?"

Steve emerged from the bathroom and smiled. "They say it's hard the first time you leave the kids overnight with someone else."

"Oh stop it," Catherine smiled as she turned to face him. "You feel the same way I do."

"Did you write down instructions for Danny?" he teased.

"Maybe," Catherine admitted as she walked to the dresser and picked up a yellow legal pad.

"How many pages?"

"Three. But I wrote big," Catherine defended.

"Uh-huh."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Actually I was just double checking," Steve smiled as he crossed the room and took her in his arms. "I spent fifteen minutes earlier giving him all the instructions but I'm not sure he'll remember everything."

"Softie." Catherine kissed him on the lips then looked over his shoulder at Cammie who was watching their every move.

"Are you ready for this," Steve asked as he picked his duffel bag up off the floor and deposited it on the bed next to Catherine's.

"Yeah. We need to get these guys off the streets. I mean the amount of drugs they're supplying is reason enough, obviously, but to intentionally poison people just to create a distraction … "

Steve sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled Catherine down beside him.

"It's an extreme level of disregard for human life for sure." He draped an arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I just … I don't wanna see any more parents have to suffer like the ones I saw this morning."

"I know."

"I mean … I get it … they chose to go to an underground party. And they chose to use cocaine once they got there. But they were just kids. We all did stupid things when we were young and believed we were invincible."

Steve cocked his head to the side and eyed her teasingly. She looked up at him and said, "Borneo. The rain forest and that orangutan?"

"Ah, yes," he barked out a laugh. "That could have ended very badly."

"Exactly. These young people, they made a bad choice, or in the case of Sean Hidalgo maybe a few bad choices, but they didn't deserve to die for them."

"I agree," Steve kissed her softly then stood up. "So let's go do our part to get these guys behind bars where they belong."

"And Cammie will be fine with Danny, right?"

"Yes," Steve assured her as he stepped over next to Cammie and knelt down to pet her. "Cammie will be fine with Danny. I told him we'd leave her instruction list on the counter in the kitchen along with the vet's number."

"Ok, but I'm gonna text him just to make sure he doesn't forget."

Steve shook his head. "We're gonna see him later at the hotel. You can remind him then."

"I think he's picking up Cammie before that," Catherine said. "At least that's what Grace said when she texted me earlier. I kinda hated asking him to dog sit knowing he's gonna be as busy on this case as we are but Grace told me Linda is sleeping over for the weekend and Grandma Josie said she's free to stay with them if Danny has to work late. Grace told her about Cammie coming over and she said she loves dogs and the more the merrier."

"Perfect," Steve chuckled. "Except Cammie will probably put on a pound a day eating Josie's cooking."

Catherine shook her head. "She'll be so busy running around with Scout and playing with the girls she'll work off all the pasta Josie slips her."

"I'm sure she'll have a ball." Steve picked up both duffel bags. "I think we've got everything."

"Me too," Catherine said as she took one last quick look around. "You ready Pratt?"

"Yep. You ready Quinn?"

"I am. Let's do this."

**End Chapter 1**

If you are not on the REALMcRoll email list and would like to be, drop us an email at realmcroll at yahoo dot com with "Add me, please!" in the subject line. You'll get updates, contests, and fun McRoller games.


	2. Chapter 2

See Author's Notes in Chapter 1

**Double Cross Chapter 2**

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Command Center**

**Friday 9:30 P.M**

Catherine and Steve got settled in their room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village then went downstairs to check out the improvised command center being set up two floors below. The south end of the hotel's fourth level was in the process of a complete renovation and ten rooms, including a small conference room, were currently off limits to guests. The Hilton staff, always eager to help whenever law enforcement needed assistance, made the space available to the Five-O team and the visiting DEA agents.

Most of the amenities had been stripped out of the room in anticipation of remodeling but once they were contacted by Five-O the hotel staff moved in a large conference table and a half dozen wooden chairs which currently sat in the middle of the uncarpeted space. In the far corner of the room were two comfortable recliners and a small work table. A wooden desk was pushed against the near wall and the hotel electrician reconnected the room's electric service and wifi so the team could move in computers and other needed equipment.

The space was lit not only by the overhead fluorescents but by an assortment of lamps placed around the room reflecting the last ten years' worth of style at the hotel. In addition, the Housekeeping staff showed up soon after the team arrived and brought a small refrigerator, as well as an in-room coffeemaker and everything needed to keep them fully caffeinated for the length of their stay.

Working together it took no time at all to get set up and ready to go. Agents Schmidt and Winstead tried to stay out of the way as much as possible but at the same time made it clear if there was anything at all the DEA could do to help with the investigation, even down to providing extra manpower or equipment, they were more than prepared to do so.

Finally at around 11 P.M, after Chin and Kono volunteered to stay the night in case anything came up, Steve and Catherine headed upstairs to get some rest, Danny left for home to check on Grandma Josie and the girls … and the dogs, and agents Schmidt and Winstead retired to their own rooms for the night.

All anyone could do at this point was wait.

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Room 6115**

**Saturday 12:18 A.M.**

Catherine and Steve showered, checked on Cammie, and were just getting ready to turn in when the burner phone they used to contact Makarovich, which Catherine had placed on the small side table on her side of the bed, rang.

Chin and Kono were alerted immediately in the command center by the tap that had been set up earlier in the day. Chin flipped a switch to begin recording and grabbed a pair of headphones to ensure he heard the call as clearly as possible. Kono immediately texted Danny and the DEA agents to let them know there was a call in progress.

Catherine glanced at the clock and saw it was 12:18 A.M.

She answered on the third ring.

"I was just about ready to give up on you," she said dryly.

"Patience, Ms. Quinn. You're doing things on island time now," Makarovich and his now familiar accent answered.

"I keep my own schedule," she said as Steve listened in. "So what have you decided, Mr. Makarovich?"

"I'd like to set up a meeting with you and your partner. If we can agree on terms, and if your supply line proves as reliable as you claim, then I think we will have a long and profitable business relationship."

Catherine looked at Steve and smiled. "When and where would you like to meet?"

"There's a warehouse on Makepono Street. Third on the left. Tomorrow noon. Just you and your partner."

Steve looked at Catherine and nodded.

"We'll be there."

"Excellent. Till tomorrow then," Makarovich said, then disconnected the call.

"Danny is gonna have a fit," Catherine pointed out. "The last thing he said was make sure the meeting is in a public place."

"He's definitely not going to like it," Steve agreed. "But realistically speaking we knew meeting in a public place was never gonna happen. This guy is too careful. If he wasn't there's no way he could've evaded the DEA, and every other law enforcement agency chasing him, for the last four years."

"Good point." Catherine slipped out of her sleep pants and into a pair of jeans then pulled a sweatshirt out of the dresser drawer and slipped it on over Steve's buds t-shirt. "Let's go downstairs and see what Chin can pull up on the warehouse so we know what we're walking into."

"Great idea," Steve said as he pulled on a pair of jeans, slipped his feet into the nearest pair of shoes, and grabbed the room key.

They exited their room and took the stairs down two flights to the command center. As expected, Chin and Kono were already hard at work gathering as much information as they could on the warehouse, its owner and its location.

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Command Center**

**Saturday 12:30 A.M**

"What have we got?" Steve asked as he pulled two chairs away from one side of the conference table and placed them beside the desk where Chin was working. He and Catherine sat down and Chin began showing them what he had so far, including a map with a street view of the warehouse.

"Tight quarters," he said as he scanned the area. "There's no way for us to get any kind of surveillance team in there without being noticed."

"That's probably why he picked this location," Catherine said, watching carefully as Chin panned around the building. She assessed any potential danger spots as well as she could on the small screen of Chin's laptop. Luckily, it appeared there were relatively few alcoves or niches in any of the surrounding buildings to cause concern. However the structures were packed tightly together which meant visibility around corners would be an issue. "Any idea who owns it?"

"Looks like it's currently on the market," Kono said from her seat at the head of the conference table. She stared intently at her tablet as she flipped rapidly through State of Hawaii real estate records. "The last tenant moved out six months ago and it's been empty since. The owner is a local industrial space rental company."

"Any record of trouble," Steve asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Doesn't look like it but I'll dig deeper just to make sure."

"This place is only a couple of blocks from the warehouse where the party was held," Catherine noted. "Maybe they originally scouted it as a possible location and that's how Makarovich found out about it."

"Definite possibility," Kono nodded. "I'll call the leasing company first thing in the morning and ask if anybody has inquired about renting the place recently. Or even anyone who just wanted to tour the space."

Twenty-five minutes later Steve and Catherine were huddled together at the conference table studying an overhead map of the area Chin printed out for them, trying to determine the best routes to and from the meeting place. Kono was searching records for any connection between Makarovich and the company that owned the building. Chin was at his makeshift desk where he'd been joined by Agents Schmidt and Winstead as they tried to decide if there were any good surveillance opportunities at, or around, the location.

Suddenly the door to the room flew open and Danny barged in.

"There's still time to call it off," he said without preamble.

"We're not calling it off," Steve said calmly without looking up.

"They chose the absolute worst spot on the island for the meeting. I mean … of course they did … why would I have expected any different but … the worst spot … and you agreed to it," Danny ranted. "There is no chance to get back-up in close. No chance for any decent surveillance."

"Which makes it the best spot for Makarovich and probably why he picked it." Steve finally raised his eyes and looked at his partner.

"They're just testing us," Catherine said, smiling confidently at Danny. "We'll be fine."

"So you're going in there without any sort of back-up at all. That's … brilliant really … kudos. Please tell me you're not going in unarmed too."

"Of course not," Steve replied, "but we do have to be prepared to give up our primary weapons."

"And what are you going to do if this whole thing goes sideways? You'll be dead before anyone can get to you."

Danny crossed his arms and dug in his heels.

"We'll be careful," Steve repeated.

"Kevlar vests?" Danny suggested.

"No, if they frisk us they'll get suspicious," Catherine said.

"Not that it makes any difference … but … just to be clear … I'd like to renew my earlier objections to this entire plan."

Danny crossed the room at took a seat at the conference table across from Steve and Catherine.

Chin turned around in his chair to face the other occupants of the room. "I'm pretty sure we can tap into the cameras on the buildings around the warehouse which will at least give us an exterior visual. The closest we're gonna be able to station a back-up car is about two blocks away."

"That's better than nothing," Danny conceded, "but it still feels too remote."

Steve and Catherine were the two best tactical minds he knew, by far, and he didn't doubt they would examine every conceivable angle and choose the plan that gave them the best chance both of running a successful mission and of coming home unharmed, but Danny couldn't quiet the little voice in the back of his head that told him something wasn't right about this whole thing. He was not going to feel comfortable until it was over and they were home safely.

"It's probably the best we're gonna get," Agent Winstead said as she looked over the map of the area, feigning casualness.

"Is there any way at all we can hear what's going on inside the warehouse?" Kono asked.

"We can't take a chance with any kind of wire. If he finds it we'll lose our best chance to catch Makarovich," Catherine said.

"Can we get in and plant a bug?" Danny suggested.

Riley had to act fast. She couldn't allow the team to get a recording of the actual meeting.

"We have to assume they have the warehouse under surveillance as we speak. Trying to get in there and plant bugs would be too dangerous," she said.

"I'd feel better if we could get audio," Danny pushed back.

"So would I," Riley replied curtly. "But I don't see how we can make that happen. If it helps at all I've studied every crime Makarovich has been involved in during the last four years. At least all the ones that shared this M.O. And outside of the partygoers there were never any other casualties we know about."

"That you know about?" Chin expressed uneasiness for the first time.

"We're fairly certain there were no other casualties," Schmidt said, backing up his partner. "It seems like Makarovich and his men only kill when necessary to cover their tracks or create a distraction. This is an opportunity to make money in their minds. These guys are gonna wanna at least hear you out."

"We'll be fine," Steve said as he looked at his watch and saw it was after 1:00 A.M. "If it goes bad Catherine and I can take care of ourselves. But right now it's getting late. We have a big day tomorrow. I suggest we all get a good night's sleep."

"Like that'll happen," Danny scoffed. When Steve frowned at him he continued, "Oh not you two. I'm sure you'll sleep fine."

Steve and Catherine nodded.

"Before everyone leaves," Riley said, "There's one more thing. I need to get access to your personnel files," she pointed to Steve and Catherine, "so I can run a background check like we talked about. I want to cross-check your histories against any of Makarovich's suspected associates. We need to make sure your paths haven't crossed at any point. Once you're in the room it's too late and we don't any nasty surprises with someone recognizing you."

Steve looked at Catherine who nodded her approval then said, "Chin can give you immediate access. Right, Chin?"

"Sure." He turned to Riley. "I can send them to your laptop as long as it's secure and password protected."

"It is," Riley tapped her computer. "Standard government issue. Fully secured in every way possible."

"Ok then." Chin turned back to his own laptop and after a few minutes of tapping keys said, "They're on their way."

"Thanks," Riley smiled. "I think I'll hang out for a little while longer and get things started. I want to make sure we have all our ducks in a row before the meeting tomorrow."

"Ok then," Steve said as he and Catherine stood up and he placed his hand on the small of her back, "I guess we'll see everyone in a few hours."

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Command Center**

**Saturday 10:30 A.M**

The Five-O team, along with Agents Winstead and Schmidt, met in the conference room bright and early to assure everything was in place for Steve and Catherine's noon meeting with Makarovich. They spent four hours checking and double-checking every aspect of the plan, down to the smallest detail, looking for any potential trouble spots.

Chin spent the morning securing connections to the cameras on the warehouses surrounding the meeting place so they would have a visual on any comings and goings. He wouldn't be able to see what was happening inside the building but at least if there was any unusual activity outside he could summon back-up immediately.

Kono and Danny reviewed all paths to and from the warehouse to make sure they could get there quickly in the case of emergency. They chose the best possible route from where they would be positioned, along with two alternate routes to allow for roads that might be blocked by the many large trucks that traveled to and from those warehouses on a daily basis.

Steve and Catherine sat at the conference table reviewing the dossiers of their undercover identities once more time. Agent Schmidt quizzed them and once again they passed with flying colors.

They felt as ready as they would ever be to get the mission started.

It was decided Agent Winstead would remain at the command center with Chin and monitor the situation from there. Danny, Kono and Agent Schmidt would be in the Camaro in a parking lot a little less than two blocks from the warehouse. It was the closest position they felt they could take without chancing detection. Danny still wasn't completely happy with plan but he was satisfied it was the best it could be, all things considered.

* * *

**Warehouse**

**Makepono Street**

**Saturday 12:00 Noon**

Steve and Catherine arrived at the warehouse precisely at noon and parked the rental car the DEA provided for them directly outside the front door. After he placed the car in park and killed the engine Steve turned and smiled at Catherine.

"Ready?"

"Absolutely," she said as she reached across the center console and squeezed his hand. "Let's do this."

They stepped out of the car and surveyed their surroundings. To a passerby they would look completely casual but they were actually making a rapid assessment of the area. They would need as much information as possible if something went wrong and they had to get out quickly. Satisfied they had what the needed they made their way to the warehouse door and knocked. The door swung open immediately and, after allowing their eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dim light inside, they stepped in.

They were immediately greeted by three men. The tallest of the three, who Catherine estimated to be in his mid-forties with a stocky build and a just slightly receding hairline introduced himself as Dmitri Makarovich. The other two men, somewhat shorter but much more muscular in build, clearly there to serve as protection, weren't introduced by name. Catherine introduced herself as Nina Quinn and Steve as Mike Pratt.

Makarovich shook hands with both of them and apologized for the extra security saying, "A man can never be too careful you understand."

After a cursory pat down for wires, during which Steve and Catherine weren't asked to relinquish their weapons, the five people moved towards the center of the room where a small card table was situated, surrounded by four chairs. Catherine looked around and noticed that aside from the table and chairs the room was, for the most part, empty. There were a few pieces of rusty equipment, no doubt left behind by the previous tenant, and a stack of flattened cardboard that looked ready to go to recycling.

Steve, Catherine and Dmitri Makarovich each took a seat at the card table while the other men stepped a discreet distance away but kept a watchful eye on the proceedings.

After they were seated Makarovich was the first to speak.

"So tell me again how you knew Sean Hidalgo."

"He worked for us," Steve said matter-of-factly, meeting Makarovich's direct gaze. If the man thought he was going to intimidate Steve with a stare he had another think coming.

"In what capacity?" Makarovich asked without breaking eye contact.

"Product distribution," Steve answered.

"For how long?" The Russian continued to stare.

"A couple of months. He made some bold claims about how much product he would be able to move but frankly we were a little disappointed. We need more."

Steve held the man's gaze.

"How much more? Makarovich asked.

* * *

**Danny Williams' Camaro**

**2 blocks from the warehouse**

**Saturday 12:10 P.M.**

Danny looked at his watch for the third time since he got word from Chin that Steve and Catherine had entered the warehouse.

"It's only been ten minutes," Kono said from her position in the passenger's seat.

"I know that," Danny said, tapping his fingers nervously on the steering wheel.

"There's no telling how long it'll take," Agent Schmidt said, leaning up from the back seat, "but I would assume it'll be at least another forty-five minutes or so."

"Thanks," Danny said as he turned towards the driver's side window. "I'm aware of how these things work. This isn't my first time out."

"I …I …I'm sorry," Agent Schmidt sputtered, "I didn't mean to imply … it just seems like you've been unsure about this operation from the start."

"I have been," Danny turned in his seat to fully face Schmidt. "Because two of my best friends in the world are walking into an operation involving a man who, by your own count, has killed at least fifty people and they're doing so with absolutely no back-up. That makes me edgy."

"I'm sorry ... " the agent started again.

"It's ok," Kono assured him. "Everyone's nerves are a bit frayed right now. Let's just concentrate on what we're doing."

Danny turned back in his seat with a huff. "Any signs of movement Chin?" he asked over the open connection to the command center.

"Nothing," Chin answered. "Everything looks quiet from the outside."

* * *

**Warehouse**

**Makepono Street**

**Saturday 12:15 P.M.**

"Our supply is almost limitless." Catherine joined the conversation in an effort to end the stare down between Steve and Makarovich before things escalated. She knew they needed to exude strength and confidence, and Steve did that in spades, but she wanted to keep everyone focused on the task at hand and not let this devolve into a contest of personalities. "So we're looking for as strong a distribution channel as we can get. We'd like to keep it all under one roof if possible. Less people involved means less a chance of detection."

"Indeed," Makarovich nodded as he turned to Catherine and smiled. "So what kind of a cut are you looking for?"

"If you can move the amount of product we're looking to move?" Catherine shrugged. "70-30."

Makarovich looked at his colleagues then back at 'Mike' and 'Nina'. "That might be doable."

Steve cast a surreptitious glace at Catherine. The little line between his eyes was creased in a way no one but her would recognize. She raised her eyebrow almost imperceptibly to let him know she agreed.

This almost seemed too easy.

They'd never known a top level drug dealer, or anyone in Makarovich's position, especially with his reputation for ruthlessness, to be so amenable.

Even though their radar was up they knew they had to keep pressing forward.

"Excellent. When can we get started?" Steve asked.

"Tell me a little about your supply line first." Makarovich settled back in his chair. "You throw around the word limitless but exactly how much product would you be able to provide."

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Command Center**

**Saturday 12:50 P.M**

"Any signs of movement?" Danny asked again over the open comm channel.

"Nothing," Chin answered as he studied the laptop in front of him with a spilt screen view of each side of the warehouse. "No one has come or gone since Steve and Catherine went inside."

"I don't like it. It's starting to feel like it's been too long," Danny said.

"Give it ten more minutes at least," Agent Winstead replied. She was standing behind Chin watching the screen over his shoulder. "We don't want to blow the whole operation just because someone got chatty."

Things were going according to plan so far but Riley Winstead knew if Danny got twitchy and moved in her entire plan would be destroyed in seconds.

She had to think fast.

She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone and looked at the screen as though she was receiving a message.

"Sorry I have to answer this real quick," she said. "I'll just be right over …" she indicated the other side of the room.

Chin never took his eyes off the screen.

Riley stepped across the room and sent a quick text to Dmitri Makarovich.

'_Time to wrap it up. People are getting nervous.'_

'_Will do,' _Makarovich responded a few seconds later.

'_Remember what I told you to do when you go outside. Make sure your face is covered and make it look good.'_

'_I remember.'_

'_I expect it to look like you're saying goodbye to an old friend.'_

'_I got it.'_

'_Call me when you get back to the safe house.'_

'_I will.'_

"Sorry about that," she said as she shoved her phone back in her pocket and moved to stand behind Chin and look at the screen. "Did I miss anything?"

"No," Chin said, "and I'm beginning to share Danny's uneasy feeling."

"Just a few more minutes," Riley said calmly. "Let's give this plan a chance."

* * *

**Warehouse**

**Makepono Street**

**Saturday 12:50 P.M.**

"I'd like to run a small test delivery first," Makarovich said as he slipped his phone back in his pocket and leaned forward, looking intently as first Steve then Catherine.

Riley made it clear to him they needed to buy a little time so she could create an evidence trail that pointed to the two cops sitting across from him as the masterminds of the entire operation. He didn't like the idea of spending additional time on the island. He thought it increased the odds of being caught. But the idea of making one last big score then returning home to Russia to live in the lap of luxury for the rest of their lives was certainly appealing.

"Just to make sure we're all on the up and up. If that goes off okay, we'll get down to specifics on a much bigger deal."

"We don't have time to play around," Steve started. "If you're not interested …"

Catherine placed her hand on his knee. "That'll be fine. But please understand we won't wait forever, Mr. Makarovich. As you can see my partner is impatient. If you're not willing to get down to business very soon we'll be exploring other options."

"Understood," Makarovich nodded. "This test will protect all of us really. Like I said let's make it small and quick. Let's say two kilos?"

"That'll be fine," Catherine said.

"Good," Makarovich nodded. "I'll set it up and get back to you with the details."

"One test run is all you get," Steve added irritably. "After that if you can't give us what we need we'll look elsewhere."

"I assure I'll be able to give you what you need. Just make sure you can provide the stream of product you claim."

"You worry about your end. We'll take care of ours," Steve said as he stood up. He waited for Catherine to stand as well then placed his hand on the small of her back.

"That sounds fair," Makarovich stood as well. "And with that I think we're done here. I'll walk you out."

"That's not necessary," Catherine assured him.

"I insist." Makarovich held up his hand indicating his associates should stay put. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses. He held out his hand to one of the other men who passed him a beat up baseball cap.

"Can't be too careful when we're out in public," he said as he donned the cap and the three of them headed for the door.

They stepped out into the mid-day sun and approached the rental car. Without warning Makarovich broke into a large smile and shook Steve's hand enthusiastically. "Good doing business with you, Mr. Pratt," he said as he draped his free arm around Steve's shoulder in a side hug.

As Steve looked at him quizzically he moved on to Catherine and enveloped her in bear hug. "I'll be talking to you soon, Ms. Quinn," he said with a broad smile.

"I hope so," Catherine said uncomfortably as Makarovich stepped back towards the building.

Steve and Catherine got into the rental car, buckled themselves in, and exchanged confused looks as Makarovich continued to wave until the engine started and Steve began to back out. At that point the Russian turned with a smile and re-entered the building.

* * *

**Danny Williams' Camaro**

**2 blocks from the warehouse**

**Saturday 1:00 P.M.**

"They're out and in the car," Chin said triumphantly over the comm line.

"Thank God," Danny said as he started the engine of the Camaro. "We're on our way back."

"Steve and Catherine are heading directly back here for a debrief," Chin said.

"Tell them we'll be there in a few minutes." Danny said, turning to grin at Kono.

The relief that flooded the Camaro was palpable.

* * *

**Rental Car**

**On the way back to Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Saturday 1:00 P.M.**

Steve pulled the car away from the warehouse and headed back towards the Hilton Hawaiian Village to meet up with the rest of the team and let them know exactly what happened at the meeting. In the initial moments of the ride both he and Catherine were lost in their own thoughts and the car was silent. As soon as they cleared the cluster of warehouses and pulled onto the highway Steve finally spoke.

"You felt it too, right?" He glanced at Catherine out of the corner of his eye.

"Definitely," she nodded.

"That felt too easy."

"Way too easy," Catherine agreed. "It definitely didn't go the way I expected."

"Makarovich seemed almost … deferential." Steve knit his eyebrows in confusion.

"When I suggested the 70-30 split I figured he'd come back with 50-50 … or 60-40 at least."

"And what was with all the inappropriate touching there at the end?" Steve asked.

"I have no idea but that was bizarre." Catherine shook her head.

"Something very strange is going on here, Cath." Steve shook his head slowly. Years of covert missions has left him with a sixth sense that allowed him to tell when something, or someone, wasn't as advertised.

"I agree. But what?" Catherine turned to face him.

"I don't know," Steve replied honestly.

"He's not on to us; if he was he never would have moved forward with plans for a test deal," Catherine said confidently.

"I agree," Steve said. "That's not it. But there's something else going on."

"Maybe he's planning a double cross?" Catherine offered.

"What do you mean?"

"Look we know he checked out Pratt and Quinn. And nothing in either of their dossiers screams criminal mastermind."

"I'm with you so far," Steve nodded.

"Maybe he thinks we actually do have the unlimited supply we claim to have but aren't smart enough to handle it," Catherine posited.

"So he thinks he'll get us on the hook, take over our supply line, and then cut us out." Steve considered the idea and it made a lot of sense.

"Probably literally," Catherine said.

"You know it's as good an explanation as anything I can think of."

"Steve … I …" Catherine started, then paused, unsure of exactly how to continue.

"What?" He reached across the console and put his hand on her knee.

"It's just … I don't know …I'm not a hundred percent sold on Winstead and Schmidt. I mean we don't know them that well and I'm not saying they're incompetent or anything but … I just think maybe …"

"It's a good idea if we keep our suspicions just between ourselves and the rest of our team?" Steve finished her thought.

"Exactly," Catherine turned to him with a relieved smile.

"That sounds like a great idea," Steve said.

"Good. After the initial debriefing we can pull Chin, Kono and Danny aside and talk to them."

"We'll figure something out. One way or another we need to get the people responsible for those deaths in the warehouse into custody and when it comes to that I trust our team over and above anyone else."

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Command Center**

**Saturday 2:00 P.M.**

After everyone returned to the command center at the Hilton, Steve and Catherine gave the team, and Schmidt and Winstead, a quick rundown of what happened at their meeting with Makarovich. They were careful to stick to the bare facts and not include any of their own impressions that something wasn't exactly right. They explained Makarovich wanted to do a small test deal to see if they were as reliable as they claimed to be and if the cocaine they could provide was of good quality.

The DEA agents assured them they would be able to procure the two kilos of high quality cocaine required to complete the deal. Normally the DEA didn't like to use real drugs in their sting operations, preferring to use fakes when possible, but Makarovich was at the top of their list of most wanted criminals and if this is what it took to catch him they were willing to take the chance.

Steve and Catherine expected the first deal to go smoothly, especially if Makarovich maintained his current level of congeniality, but they also knew they couldn't allow those two kilos of cocaine to make their way onto the streets of Oahu.

And the team knew it too.

"We're going to have to come up with a plan to take down whoever in Makarovich's operation ends up with the two kilos, preferably without him finding out," Danny said as they were wrapping up the meeting.

"That's a dangerous idea," Riley countered. "If he gets wind one of his people was arrested he might bail on the second deal."

"It's non-negotiable," Danny said. "We can't let those drugs hit the streets of Oahu."

"No question," Steve said as the rest of the team nodded in agreement. "We'll handle it as far under the radar as possible but there's no way we can do a two kilo cocaine deal and not keep control of the drugs and make sure they don't end up in circulation."

"Whatever you think is best," Riley sighed. "If you can hold off on making the arrest as long as possible that'd be good. We want to minimize any chance Makarovich gets spooked and goes underground."

"We'll do our best but I can't make any promises," Steve said definitively.

Riley nodded. "Well if there's nothing else I have some calls to make and I have to check on a few other cases so I think I'll head back to my room."

Steve nodded. "I need a few minutes alone with just my team to talk about some unrelated matters."

"As soon as Makarovich calls with details of the first deal we'll meet back here?" Schmidt asked.

"Sounds good," Steve agreed as the two DEA agents gathered their things and left the room. Once they had had time to get safely down the hall Steve turned back to the others.

"Cath and I didn't want to say anything in front of Schmidt and Winstead but we both agree something just didn't feel right about that meeting today. Makarovich was too agreeable. Too relaxed. He never even asked us to surrender our weapons. And as we were leaving he hugged us like long lost friends."

"I noticed," Chin said. "What was up with that?"

"You think he's on to you," Danny asked tensely.

"No, he didn't act like that at all," Steve said.

"We think maybe he's planning to try to ace us out of the deal and keep all the profits for himself," Catherine said.

"I don't like the sound of that," Chin said warily.

"We're not even sure that's what's happening," Steve said. "We just want to make sure we're running our own investigation … our team only."

"You don't trust Winstead and Schmidt?" Kono asked.

"We don't know them," Steve said. "And if things get dicey in this, Cath and I need to know our people are the ones calling the shots."

"You got it," Chin and Kono said simultaneously.

"I have your back, guys, always. You know that. But can you do me one favor?" Danny asked.

"Of course," Steve and Catherine said.

"After the first part of the deal, if you still feel like this thing has the potential to go sideways, we talk seriously about either adjusting the plan to make sure you have back up or pulling the plug altogether."

Steve started to make a somewhat sarcastic remark but the sincerity in Danny's eyes stopped him in his tracks.

"Deal, partner."

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Room 2234**

**Saturday 4:00 P.M.**

Riley Winstead sat on the bed in her hotel room with Steve and Catherine's personnel files pulled up on her laptop. As far as she knew they were in their room and the rest of the Five-O team had returned to their office. Agent Schmidt was catching a few hours' sleep after a mostly sleepless night and that left her plenty of time to work on her plan.

She couldn't believe the perfect solution had fallen right into her lap. She and Makarovich had been searching for an escape hatch for months. Ever since the close call in Dallas. They were starting to worry more and more about getting caught, which would either mean death in a shootout or life in a federal prison. Neither of which seemed like attractive options.

What they needed was one more big score and they'd have enough money to live on for the rest of their lives. Dmitri's dream was to return to his homeland and live out his days drinking vodka and enjoying all the pleasures Russia had to offer. And because it was his dream, and so dearly held, Riley made it her dream. She'd never lived outside the United States, and never really thought she wanted to, but meeting Dmitri Makarovich changed her life forever.

He was a low level street dealer who had only lived in the states about a year when she cultivated him as a source while she was working in the New York City office of the DEA. She protected him from arrest on several occasions, telling herself it was because he was providing her valuable information, but after a few months she finally admitted, to herself and to him, that it was because she was attracted to him, and they became lovers.

It was only a few months later, after comparing the lives of the rich drug runners to her own lived on a federal employees paycheck, she approached Dmitri with her plan for them to go on a five year crime spree where they would bank all the money they could possibly need and then live the rest of their lives in luxury. It hadn't taken much to get him on board and after six months of meticulous planning they were ready to go. With her brains and connections and his ruthlessness and willingness to kill when necessary, the plan worked flawlessly.

Until Dallas.

And Gus Whitcomb.

Who hadn't died the night of the party like he was supposed to.

Luckily, well for her and Dmitri, not so luckily for Gus Whitcomb, she was able to administer a final lethal dose of cyanide before he could give the feds enough information to find and arrest Dmitri. But that weekend they started planning to bring their spree to an end.

They just needed a little more money.

LA was profitable, and if they could pull off a similar deal here in Hawaii they'd be all set. All she wanted to do was find a way to ensure they could live freely, without looking over their shoulders every day worried law enforcement was after them. They assumed they'd be safe in Russia, outside the control of the DEA and other US agencies, but Riley had seen firsthand American law enforcement has ways of getting their man, even if he's beyond their reach in another country.

In order to feel completely safe she needed to put the blame on someone else.

That's where Steve and Catherine came in.

Steve McGarrett, known far and wide for his rogue operations and his willingness to flout the rules. He'd been involved in more than his share of black ops, before and after his military service. By planting just a few clues Riley could easily point the investigation in his direction.

Coincidentally, the first incidence of party deaths occurred just months after McGarrett returned to the states following the death of his father. The party planner in that case was the son of an ex-military contractor. All Riley had to do was drop a few references to an ex-military man in Hawaii into her case notes, not too brazenly but definitely something someone would find if they were looking. She knew she was going to have to do almost everything the old fashioned way, with pen and paper, because altering the official notes, the ones stored on government computers, would leave a digital trail that would lead them straight to her.

She'd been given a perfect opportunity to fulfill all the dreams she and Dmitri shared and she had to be very careful not to squander it.

She double checked Steve's personnel file to make sure she had all the information she'd need to open an off-shore bank account in his name. At first she hadn't been able to figure out how to explain where Steve and Catherine were hiding all the money but inspiration struck her just an hour before.

She and Dmitri each had an off-shore account opened immediately after the first job. Her plan was to move all the money out of those accounts through a series of untraceable transactions and have it end up in a bank account they'd set up in Russia for a time when they were ready to make their move.

Once the money was safely tucked away in Dmitri's homeland, under the watchful eye of people Riley knew they could trust, and she was sure all the digital footprints of the movement were obscured, she would change the names on the bank accounts to Steve McGarrett and Catherine Rollins.

If she understood the shady bank she'd was dealing with, and she believed she did, no one would ever be able to tell the accounts weren't in Steve and Catherine's names all along. And she was more than willing to grease a few palms at the bank to make sure the records reflected just that.

The first two years McGarrett was in Hawaii Rollins was still overseas. That could definitely work to their advantage. Between the fake bank account, her relationship with McGarrett, and Rollins' history of time spent in Afghanistan, the investigation would take on a life of its own.

Where there's smoke there's fire as they say.

Dmitri arranged for her to meet in the morning with an old acquaintance from New York who was living here on the islands now. The man owed Dmitri a favor. And it was time to collect. Luckily he owned a series of ramshackle places down on the docks he used mostly as sites for drug deals and other illicit activity. He was willing to rent her one of the units and swear he rented it to Steve McGarrett and Catherine Rollins several years prior and they were using it as a base of operations.

She was pulling copies of evidence from the various cases, along with newspaper articles and police reports of the deaths. She planned to fill the newly rented office with as much incriminating material as she could.

Once the big deal went bad, and she would make sure it did, she would offer to stay on and help with the investigation.

At the first opportunity she would, regretfully of course, discover a piece of evidence that indicated Steve and Catherine were involved in the Hawaii partygoer case. Once that idea took hold it would be a short leap to insinuating they were the masterminds behind all the partygoer cases.

Riley Winstead was the only federal agent to have worked on every one of the cases. She was known to have the evidence committed to memory. Her colleagues would look to her for an opinion as to whether these two seemingly upstanding citizens could actually be the brains behind Dmitri Makarovich.

When they did, she would produce handwritten notes dating back at least a year detailing her suspicions that there was no such person as Dmitri Makarovich. That he was the creation of whoever was actually running the operation. She would claim she hadn't shared this opinion with any of her colleagues because there was no solid proof to back it up. At first she would publicly refuse to believe it could be the Five-O team members but as the evidence piled up she would have to admit it certainly looked as if they were guilty.

Once Steve and Catherine were safely on their way to conviction she'd set in motion her plan to join Dmitri in Russia.

She was startled by the ringing of her phone but smiled when she looked down at the caller ID and saw his name.

"Hey, I hear the meeting went well," she said cheerily. She was always glad to hear his voice and looked forward to the day they didn't have to hide anymore and she could fall asleep next to him every night and wake up next to him every morning.

"Yes. They seemed to buy it."

"They did," she assured him as she closed her laptop and leaned back against the headboard. "They didn't suspect a thing."

"I'm still not sure about this plan," Dmitri said worriedly.

"It'll work perfectly. Don't worry," Riley assured him. "I'm laying the trap as we speak."

"How long do you need?"

"I'm meeting with your friend, what's his name? Simmons? first thing in the morning about renting the office. I'll stay up all night if I have to getting the proof ready to plant there. Once that's done, and the bank accounts are taken care of, we can move pretty quickly."

"When should I arrange for the first deal?"

"Tomorrow afternoon should be good. That'll give me time to get everything in place."

"I just worry every minute we spend sitting around is a minute something has a chance to go wrong," Dmitri fretted.

On previous jobs they always made sure to minimize their downtime. Just do the job and get out of town. All this waiting was making him nervous.

"I have to be careful," Riley said patiently. "I can't make it too obvious or it'll look like we should have caught them the first time. I have to lay just enough clues that once I put them on the trail it'll all unravel pretty quickly."

"You better be right about this."

"I am. Trust me. Is Rodriquez still on board for the real second deal?" Riley asked.

The plan was that while Steve and Catherine, and half the HPD, were tied up waiting for the big second deal to go down, Makarovich and his men would be on the other side of the island closing a deal with their real supplier.

By the time the Five-O team realized they'd been had Dmitri and his men would be back at the safe house and Riley would be putting the first stages of her plan to frame Steve and Catherine into action. Then once things died down, and all the attention was refocused from the deal itself to its masterminds, Dmitri could slip quietly back to LA, then to NYC, and from there he could make arrangements to get back to Russia.

She eventually intended to imply Steve and Catherine purposely pulled police resources away from the site of the real deal to avoid detection. That not only did they know the deal they were setting up with Makarovich was fake, but they were the ones who came up with the idea and arranged the whole thing.

"The real second deal is set. You don't have to worry about that. Do you need anything else from me?"

"Well there is one small problem." Riley dreaded telling him about Five-O's plan to arrest the person who ended up with the two kilos of coke but she couldn't put it off any longer.

"I knew it." He grumbled.

"No, it's nothing serious. These local cops are determined to make an arrest on the small deal. They don't want to allow the drugs to make it into circulation. You need to provide someone willing to be arrested who won't fold under interrogation. They just need to sit in jail and wait till Rollins and McGarrett fall under suspicion and then we'll get them out."

"How long?" Makarovich asked.

"Not long. A few days tops."

"Fine. I'll find someone. But I want to get this over with and be back in Russia very soon."

"It won't be long now, baby. I promise. All we have to do is both stay the course."

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Room 6115**

**Sunday 1:00 P.M.**

Steve and Catherine woke up early Sunday morning, full of nervous energy, hoping this would be the day the call came in and the plan was finally put into action. They were anxious to get Makarovich off the streets and get back to their own home and their own bed.

Not that they had any complaints about the accommodations at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. They were quite pleased to learn the beds in the newly remodeled rooms were sturdy and didn't squeak. Still they were anxious to get home to their own place. And to Cammie.

They ate breakfast and went for an early morning swim then met with the rest of the team to decide how they would proceed if Makarovich didn't call back. After deciding they'd give it the rest of today before calling the operation a bust Danny went home to spend some time with Grace and Chin and Kono headed out for a family BBQ.

Just as Steve and Catherine returned from lunch in the hotel restaurant the burner phone they'd been using to communicate with Dmitri Makarovich rang.

This time Catherine answered on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Quinn. Are you ready to do a deal today?" The Russian asked cheerily.

"Yes, we are."

"Excellent. Deliver two kilos to the same warehouse where we met yesterday. Three o'clock this afternoon. If everything goes well, and I'm satisfied with the product, we'll set up the bigger deal for tomorrow."

"That'll be fine," Catherine said. "We'll see you there."

As Catherine disconnected the phone Steve came up beside her and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"I'm not complaining in any way but what's this all about," she asked with a smile when he finally stepped back.

"Cath, look," he took a deep breath and continued. "I know how much it means to you to do this. To find justice for Caroline Hidalgo and the other parents. And I support you all the way."

"I know you do," Catherine squeezed his hand and kept hold of it as he continued.

"But I just want you to know if you feel like something isn't right today, or at any point going forward, it's okay to back out. We'll find another way. I won't give up on this. I know how much it means to you."

"I know," Catherine smiled softly. "And I appreciate it."

"Ok," he intertwined their fingers. "I just don't want you to feel obligated to keep moving forward if something isn't right. I want to get these guys off the street too but nothing is more important to me than you and your safety."

Catherine threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I feel the same way about you, Steve. I promise I won't jeopardize either of us in any way. If it feels wrong … we're out."

"Ok then," he smiled and kissed her quickly on the lips. "Let's do this."

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Command Center**

**Sunday 1:30 P.M.**

As soon as the meet was set up the team assembled in the command center. Agent Schmidt flew to the big island earlier in the day to secure the needed drugs. He arrived back just in time to find out the details of the first deal had been finalized.

The DEA was, as always, nervous about putting actual seized drugs in the hands of anyone other than their own agents but they were desperate to bust Makarovich so were willing to make an exception in this case.

"Where's Agent Winstead," Danny asked as Schmidt arranged the drugs in a satchel Steve and Catherine could carry inconspicuously to the meet.

"She said she was gonna spend the morning running down a few leads locally. She texted me a few minutes ago and said she was on her way back," Schmidt answered. "Ok, we're all set here. The tracking device is state of the art. It's actually woven into the fabric. Virtually undetectable. I just activated it so we can follow the drugs every step of the way."

Danny looked down at the tracker in his hand which was suddenly glowing with a bright red dot. He and Kono were going to follow the drugs once they left and Steve and Catherine's possession. Chin was going to once again remain at the command center but this time both of the DEA agents were going to remain with him. Steve and Catherine would return to the hotel immediately after the deal with the money they collected and put it in DEA custody.

After one last check that everyone knew their assignment Steve and Catherine headed back to their room to get ready to go.

* * *

**Warehouse**

**Makepono Street**

**Sunday 3:00 P.M.**

Steve one again pulled the rental car up to the warehouse and parked in the same space he used the day before. He turned towards Catherine and asked, "Are we ready?"

She smiled across the console at him and once again squeezed his hand to indicate she was. They got out of the car and Steve removed the satchel containing the drugs from the back seat. Just like the previous day, they walked to the door and were immediately ushered inside. Once again they were not asked to surrender their weapons. They found Dmitri Makarovich standing beside the card table in the center of the room waiting for them.

In front of him was a briefcase, opened up to reveal the cash inside.

"I see you brought the money," Steve said as he placed the satchel on the table and tossed back the flap to reveal two kilos of cocaine. He hoped the tracking device was as inconspicuous as Schmidt claimed.

Makarovich gestured with his hand and one of his associates stepped forward with a small knife, slit open one of the kilos and tested the product. A second later he nodded yes to Makarovich.

"Excellent. My associate is satisfied with the quality so it appears we have a deal."

"Good," Catherine said. "So when do we make some real money."

"You're eager. I like that," Makarovich said. "How long will it take you to get me 50 kilos?"

"We can have it for you by morning," Steve said confidently.

"Well then tomorrow morning it shall be. Should we say 10:00 A.M.? Right here."

"Sounds good." Steve said. He pushed the satchel of drugs towards Makarovich who in turn pushed the briefcase of money towards him. "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Pratt, Ms. Quinn."

"Likewise," Catherine said as Steve closed the briefcase and lifted it from the table. As he did a small piece of paper fluttered to the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry let me get that," Makarovich said as he started around the table.

Catherine leaned over and retrieved the paper, furtively taking note of the address scribbled on it, and handed it back to him. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Makarovich smiled.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Catherine said.

"I'm looking forward to it," he smiled and nodded.

Once again Makarovich put on sunglasses and a hat and followed them out to the parking lot, again saying goodbye to them like long lost friends. Steve and Catherine were less thrown off this time so they accepted his goodbye hugs and handshakes then got in the car and drove away.

But both of them couldn't help the feeling in the pit of their stomachs this mission wasn't going to go exactly as planned.

* * *

**Danny Williams' Camaro**

**2 blocks from the warehouse**

**Sunday 3:30 P.M.**

Not long after Steve and Catherine departed, the red dot on the GPS tracker started to move indicating the drugs were leaving the warehouse. Danny and Kono quickly identified the car they were being transported in. It was a late model black Jeep. They called in the plates which, to the surprise of absolutely no one, came back as stolen.

They continued to follow as the Jeep made its way to a small bungalow on a dead end road on the far side of the island. The house was run down, with a slightly overgrown lawn and several non-operational vehicles in the yard. They watched as a young man, probably in his early twenties got out of the Jeep, grabbed the satchel of drugs, and entered the house.

"Should we go in and get him?" Kono asked.

"Let's watch for a little while and see what happens," Danny answered. "He might lead us to someone else in the crew."

"Okay with me." Kono settled in and trained her binoculars on the bungalow.

Danny called in and let Chin know what was happening and, after receiving assurance Steve and Catherine had returned safely, settled in to wait.

He didn't have to wait long.

About twenty minutes later a rusty sedan pulled into the driveway. A middle aged man who looked to be badly in need of both a shower and a haircut emerged from the car. He began shouting semi-coherently and staggering around the driveway. The driver of the Jeep emerged from house appearing agitated.

"What's happening there?" Danny asked.

"I'm not sure but it doesn't look good," Kono said as she pulled the handle and started to get out of the car. Danny followed quickly and the two of them drew their weapons and approached the house. They were shielded from the men's view by a cluster of overgrown shrubbery. As they approached they heard the men arguing.

"You aren't supposed to be here, Simmons. Just go home and wait for someone to call you," the younger man insisted.

"I'm not trying to make trouble. I just need a little something to get me through. I have money." The older man pulled a roll of large bills from his tattered pocket.

"I can't help you. You need to go away," the younger man shouted.

"I'm not going away till I get … "

The younger man drew a weapon and Danny and Kono heard the unmistakable sound of a round being chambered.

They emerged quickly from behind the shrubbery, announced themselves as Five-O, ordered the younger man to drop his weapon and ordered both men to the ground.

The younger man did as he was told and both men were taken into custody with no resistance. Once they were handcuffed Kono called for an HPD car to transport them for questioning. As the men were being loaded into the back of a squad car Danny heard the younger man order the older man to keep his mouth shut no matter what.

* * *

**HPD **

**Hallway**

**Sunday 6:00 P.M.**

"I'm getting ready to question one of them now," Danny said to Steve as he leaned against the wall, talking on his phone.

"Hopefully he'll be able to give you a lead," Steve said as he rubbed his forehead against the pain of a slight headache.

"Hopefully. So the meeting today went smooth? Almost too smooth again?" Danny asked.

This was the first chance he'd had to talk to either Steve or Catherine since they left the warehouse.

"You read my mind." Steve said.

"Well if there's something going on hopefully we'll be able to get it out of this guy." Danny watched as the scruffy looking older man they arrested earlier was lead into one of the interrogation rooms.

"Let me know," Steve said quietly.

"I will. You and Catherine getting ready for tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah. We'll probably be up late in the command center. Come by after you're done if you feel like it."

Duke motioned from the end of the hall indicating the prisoner was ready to be interrogated.

"Gotta go," Danny said. "I'll see you after."

"Ok," Steve said as he disconnected the call.

Danny entered the room and sat down across from the older man, the one who arrived at the scene in the rusty sedan. The younger man, the one who actually transported the drugs, lawyered up immediately and refused to answer any questions.

"So, Mr. Simmons," Danny said as he leaned forward and studied the older man. "Care to tell me what you were doing when we picked you up earlier?"

The older man looked at Danny, his eyes completely unfocused. "I wasn't supposed to be there," he said plaintively. "That part had nothing to do with me."

"What part is that?" Danny asked.

"I wasn't supposed to be there. She's going to be mad I was there."

"She who?" Danny wasn't sure if Simmons was giving him actual information or just spouting gibberish.

"I wasn't supposed to be there." The older man dropped his head to the table and began crying and babbling nonsensically.

Danny realized he wasn't gonna get anything from the man in his current condition. He stood up and told Simmons he'd arrange for him to be returned to his cell.

He went to the front desk and told Duke he might want to question the man again in the morning. Meanwhile he asked if he could see Simmons' personal effects. He removed the cell phone from the plastic bag that held the man's scant few other possessions and checked the history. He asked Duke if he could take the phone and see if Chin could get anything from it and Duke agreed.

Danny signed out the phone from evidence and headed back to the Hilton.

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Command Center**

**Sunday 7:30 P.M.**

Danny entered the command center after having made a quick stop at home to check on Grace, Linda and Grandma Josie. Not to mention Scout and Cammie. They built a fort in the living room and were all inside, including Grandma Josie and the dogs, eating popcorn and watching scary movies. They assured Danny they had everything they needed and so he grabbed a quick shower, changed his clothes and headed to the Hilton.

When he arrived the first thing he did was give Chin Simmons' phone and ask him if he could track the numbers and the GPS. Chin set to work on that while the others spent the next several hours pinning down the details of the operation that would take place in the morning.

This time, as Steve and Catherine entered the warehouse several dozen HPD officers, and Grover and his SWAT team, would take up positions around the building and as soon as Steve and Catherine emerged with the money they would move in. Chin would be in the field with the rest of the team and Schmidt and Winstead would be stationed a block away, prepared to take possession of both the drugs and the money while HPD handled the arrest of Makarovich. They would deal with having him transferred to federal custody after the state of Hawaii had its chance.

There was more risk involved with the larger quantity of drugs because only ten of the fifty kilos were authentic. Everything underneath was fake. The chance of the operation going sideways was much greater. If the men decided for some reason to test one of the bundles from underneath Steve and Catherine would be found out. The team tried to prepare for every possible eventuality but around 11:00 PM decided to call it a night so they'd all be well rested and ready for the morning.

As they were preparing to leave Danny got a call from Duke saying Simmons had asked to see him first thing. He said he had information he was willing to trade for his freedom. Danny told Duke he'd come by early, around 7:30 A.M., so he could talk to the man and still be ready in time to provide backup for Steve and Catherine.

As he was leaving Chin handed Danny a readout of everyone Simmons had called and everywhere his GPS had tracked within the last 48 hours. Danny glanced at the list and didn't see any familiar names or locations but figured he'd ask Simmons about it the morning.

He arranged to meet Steve and Catherine, and the rest of the team, for breakfast and one final prep meeting before the deal, then headed home to see if anyone was able to fall asleep at his house or if they'd all scared themselves so much they'd be awake all night.

* * *

**HPD**

**Monday 7:25 A.M.**

Danny arrived at HPD right on schedule the next morning and was met at the front door by a grim-faced Duke.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked, knowing right away he wasn't going to like whatever Duke had to tell him.

"Simmons is dead."

"What? How?" Danny asked incredulously.

"Someone stabbed him in the shower this morning," Duke replied.

"Are you kidding me?" Danny couldn't figure out if this was a sign today's meeting was destined to be a disaster or just an incredible coincidence.

"I wish I was," Duke said agitatedly.

"Do you know who did it?" Danny asked.

"Twenty-five witnesses but no one saw anything. You know how that goes." Duke shook his head.

"Was the other guy we brought in with him there when it happened?" Danny knew people arrested together were usually separated in the early stages of an investigation but he had to make sure.

"No, he was being kept on the other side of the jail," Duke assured him.

Danny looked anxiously at his watch. "Look I gotta go. I gotta make sure everything is ready for this morning. But can you please text me if you find out anything at all about what happened?"

"You'll be the first to know," Duke assured him.

Danny made his way out to his car as an uneasy feeling took root in his chest. There's no way this could possibly be a coincidence. Someone knew Simmons was about to share information and killed him before he had a chance.

The question was who.

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Command Center**

**Monday 8:00 A.M.**

As soon as Danny entered the conference room Steve could tell something was wrong. His shoulders were pulled back and stiff and his face was a mask of tension.

"Simmons, the guy we arrested yesterday, is dead." Danny announced.

"What?" Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"He called here last night and said he had information he wanted to give me. Or trade. Or whatever. But when I went by the jail to talk to him this morning Duke said someone stabbed him in the shower."

"Do you think it's related to this case?" Catherine asked.

"Hard to say. He has a long record on the island. He owes everybody money. He's pissed off a lot of people. Could be he ran into one of them in lock up."

"Ok, well if there's no reason to believe it was necessarily related to this we move forward," Steve said. "We're too close to back out now without a concrete reason."

"Agreed," they all nodded.

"Let's just be extra careful," Danny said. Even with the knot of uneasiness in his stomach he was committed to making this last deal, taking down Makarovich and his crew, and putting this whole case behind them.

They made their way to the far end of the parking lot where they met Schmidt and Winstead who loaded the drugs into the rental car and after doing one last equipment check everyone headed off to their positions.

* * *

**Warehouse**

**Makepono Street**

**Monday 9:55 A.M.**

Steve and Catherine arrived as scheduled at the warehouse. After their customary check in and hand squeeze they got out of the car and made their way to the door.

They knocked and waited.

Nothing.

They knocked again.

Nothing.

Steve tried the handle on the door. It was locked. Both previous times they were here the door was opened immediately.

The uneasy feeling that had haunted both of them from the first meeting started to grow stronger.

"We did say 10:00 A.M. today, right?" He double checked with Catherine.

"Yes, we did."

Steve knocked again while Catherine pulled out the burner phone and dialed Makarovich's number. She grimaced and hung up.

"What?" Steve knew but he needed to hear Catherine say it.

"Disconnected."

"Dammit," he said as he pounded on the door. "He used us. WE are the distraction."

Just then a dour-faced Danny pulled the Camaro to a stop behind the rental car and he and Kono got out.

"What is it?" Steve asked, positive he wasn't going to like what he heard.

"We just got word two security guards at the other end of the island stumbled across a big drug deal in progress. They called 911 but by the time officers arrived the drugs were gone and the guards were dead."

No," Catherine said.

"I'm so sorry," Danny reached out and touched her forearm.

Steve could barely contain his fury. "We got played," he said as Schmidt and Winstead pulled up.

Winstead, who was riding shotgun, opened the passenger door and spoke to the team over the top of the car. "We're headed over to the other side of the island."

"We heard," Steve growled.

"I want the names of every one of your people who knew the details of this operation. You must have a leak," Winstead snarled.

"WE have a leak," Danny snarled right back. "How is it us? I think you're the ones with the leak. You haven't been able to stop this guy now after twelve tries."

"I'm positive my team is solid," Winstead scoffed. "I can't say the same for yours. Meet me back at the command center in two hours so we can figure this out."

"Let it go," Danny said as he and Catherine simultaneously put their hands on Steve's arm to keep him from exploding at Agent Winstead.

"We have to figure out what went wrong here," Catherine said. "We don't have time to fight with the feds."

Steve took a deep breath and waited for Winstead and Schmidt to leave before turning to his team. "Danny, any word from Duke on who might have stabbed Simmons?"

"Not yet."

"Do you have that list Chin gave you of places his GPS tracked?"

"Yeah, let me grab it." Danny went to the Camaro and retrieved the list off the front seat then came back and handed it to Steve. As he was looking at it Catherine was reading over his shoulder.

"See anything that looks familiar?" Danny asked.

"No," Steve said.

"Wait a minute. I do," Catherine said.

"What?"

"This address. 2114 Waimai Drive. It's the same thing that was written on that slip of paper Makarovich dropped the morning of the first buy."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked.

"Positive."

"OK, Cath, you and Kono go check out that address. Danny and I are gonna wrap things up here then head over to the scene of the other deal. I'll tell Chin we'll meet him there. Call us if you find anything. If not meet us back at the office."

"What about Winstead and Schmidt?"

"They can come to the office if they want to talk to us. Let's go figure out how these guys managed to pull this off and more to the point how we can stop them from doing it again."

* * *

**2114 Waimai Drive**

**Monday 11:00 A.M.**

Catherine and Kono pulled up in front of the dilapidated building that matched the address Catherine had seen in Makarovich's hand and that appeared on the dead man's GPS records.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Kono asked tentatively.

"This is the address."

The two women got out of the car, drew their weapons and approached the front of the building. They knocked, announced themselves as Five-O, then tested the door and found it unlocked. They entered slowly; weapons raised, and found the single room unoccupied.

And a mess.

There were a several dented file cabinets in the corner and a cluttered desk sitting right in the center of the room. The walls were covered with newspaper reports of some of the partygoer incidents. New York, Miami, Maine, Los Angeles, Seattle and the most recent one in Hawaii. A police scanner crackled with static on a small table in the corner.

Something on the desk caught Catherine's eye and she began to read.

"Oh my God!" she said.

"What?" Kono asked, alarmed.

"Oh my God!"

"What?" Kono asked more frantically.

"Look at this," she said as she handed a sheaf of papers to Kono.

"What is it?" Kono asked.

"It's records from an offshore bank account in my name, except I don't have an offshore bank account." She picked up the next stack of papers. "And here's one in Steve's name and he doesn't have an offshore account either."

"What the hell?" Kono gaped at the papers.

"Let's see what else is here," Catherine said as she began going through the desk drawers.

Kono opened the first file cabinet and began rifling through the files. "Cath … this is … there's all kinds of stuff here about you and Steve. About your travels overseas. There are pieces of evidence I'm assuming have to do with earlier partygoer cases. Some of it marked Federal Evidence."

Catherine and Kono froze and looked at each other. "Someone is trying to set you and Steve up to take the fall on this." Kono looked stricken. She knew how it felt to be falsely accused.

"Who," Catherine asked breathlessly as she looked around for the answer even though she knew it wouldn't be there."

Kono opened a drawer in the second file cabinet and gasped.

"What?" Catherine asked, not imagining it could get much worse.

Kono reached into the drawer and took out the briefcase full of money from the first buy. "You better call Steve."

Catherine pulled out her phone and dialed.

"Did you find anything?" he asked in lieu of a greeting.

"Did we ever. Steve, this place is a set-up. There's all kinds of evidence here pointing to you and me as the masterminds of this whole thing."

"What are you talking about?" Steve asked, certain he misunderstood what she said.

"Fake bank accounts. Stolen evidence. Police reports. Travel documents. The money from the first bust. It all points to you and me being involved in this."

"Wait there," Steve said, as the knot that had been forming in his stomach all morning pulled tighter. "Danny and I are on our way."

As Catherine hung up the phone the scanner in the corner crackled out a message. She couldn't make out the whole thing but she could make out the address of the building they were standing in.

"They're on their way," she said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Steve and Danny or Schmidt and Winstead?" Kono asked.

"Both," Catherine said softly.

"What are we gonna do?"

Catherine prided herself on being able to stay calm under pressure. To make tough decisions when needed and to carry them through with a calm head. She took a deep breath and summoned all her training.

And in a flash she knew what had to be done.

"Kono, you need to help me. Pull everything out of that cabinet that incriminates Steve. Leave anything that incriminates me." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pair of evidence gloves. "Put these on." She tossed them to Kono. "And wipe off the file cabinets and anything you've already touched."

"Cath, I can't … are you crazy? That's the stupidest … "

"No, Kono, it isn't. And you know it."

Catherine sat down at the computer and began frantically working. She called up the secured, private website of the offshore bank listed on the papers and quickly found the account listed under Steve's name. It was empty, having recently transferred out a large sum of money. She entered the identifying information requested, gained access to the account, then pressed a few buttons and the account was deleted. She performed similar actions on an email account that purported to be Steve's even though she was sure it wasn't.

"We can't do this, Catherine." Kono insisted.

"We have to do this, Kono." Catherine fought to keep her voice and demeanor calm.

"If you want to destroy the evidence why don't we just destroy it all?" Kono suggested.

"Because my fingerprints are all over the door and half the surfaces in this room. I'm in this up to my neck no matter what. So we have to save Steve."

"If I let you do this, Steve will kill me," Kono argued.

"No, he won't." Catherine continued on with what she was doing.

"Yes, he will."

"I'll explain it to him," Catherine said.

"Catherine … "

"I don't care if you keep disagreeing with me but can you please pull anything out of those file cabinets with Steve's name on it as you're doing it."

Kono crossed the room and grabbed Catherine by the shoulders. "Think about what you're doing. This is insane."

"It's the only way, Kono. They're going to be here in less than fifteen minutes. They'll be here well before Steve and Danny. If they find this stuff Steve is going to jail. Do you know how many criminals here on the island would love to see Steve in jail?"

"Catherine they can protect … "

"That's my job!" Catherine yelled. "I protect Steve."

"Catherine," Kono took a deep breath. "You're not going to do any better in prison."

"I'm not going to prison," Catherine said. "I'm going to take all this information and go into hiding."

"Steve will never accept that."

"I told you I'll take care of Steve. I'm not going far. I'll let him know where I am. But Kono, Steve needs to be free. Him and Danny and you and Chin. You need to figure out what's going on here."

Kono was at a loss. She knew in her heart if she and Adam were in this position she would do the same thing.

"Let's use their own distraction technique against them," Catherine said. "They'll be looking for me and you guys will be looking for them."

"Catherine … "

"You know I'm right, Kono. Now please help me."

"The boss is gonna kill me," Kono grumbled as she pulled papers from the file cabinet.

Catherine gathered up all the papers from the desk with Steve's name on them and put them in a pile with the things Kono had collected. She did a final search on the computer and didn't see anything else incriminating against Steve.

"They'll be tracking my phone," she said. She pulled it out, quickly wiped the hard drive and dropped it in the desk drawer. She took the battery out of the burner phone and handed it to Kono. "Make sure Chin gets this. He might be able to get some information off it."

"I will," Kono promised.

"OK, you have to go now, Kono. Call Steve. Get to him and Danny. Explain what happened. Tell him to wait for me to contact him. I'll do it soon. I promise."

"Catherine, here," Kono reached into her pocket and pulled out forty dollars. "Take this. And find a way to stay in touch."

"I will, Sista. I promise."

Kono hugged Catherine tightly. "Take care of yourself, girl.

They exited the building and Kono climbed in her car. She watched Catherine disappear around the corner as she heard sirens in the distance. She just managed to get out of sight before the first police car arrived.

As she pulled away she dialed Steve's number.

"Kono we're on our way."

"Change of plans, Steve."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't explain over the phone. Meet me at that old abandoned building where we busted those counterfeiters."

"Meet you? " Steve took note of the singular. "Kono why? Where's Catherine? Are the two of you ok?" he demanded.

"We're … fine." Kono knew she couldn't reveal anything till she had a chance to talk to Steve face to face. "I'll explain when I see you. Just meet me there."

**End Chapter 2**

Looking for links to all the REAL World McRoll stories in one place? Check out our Tumblr page mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com.


	3. Chapter 3

AN's in Chapter 1

_Thank you so much to everyone for your awesome reviews! I'm a little behind in responding because I can't stop myself from adding scenes and rewriting sections of this fic as I go along. Nothing is ever written in stone till I actually push the publish button. LOL But I will get to them all I promise!_

* * *

**Double Cross Chapter 3**

**Warehouse District**

**Monday 12:20 P.M.**

Kono made her way as quickly as she could towards the deserted cement block building on the edge of the warehouse district that just a month earlier was the scene of a flourishing counterfeit/money laundering operation which Five-O busted with the help of the Treasury Department, leading to over twenty arrests both in Hawaii and on the mainland. Danny and Steve were closer to the location when she called to set up the meet so she assumed they'd be there waiting for her. She didn't relish the thought of telling them about Catherine taking off alone but she knew they needed to be brought up to speed as soon as possible.

Catherine put her own freedom and safety on the line in order to protect Steve so that he could stay out of jail and, along with the other members of the team, find out who was trying to frame them for the partygoer murders. Kono was going to honor that choice and do everything she could to support her friend by helping Steve understand why and how Catherine had come to that decision.

As she approached down the long gravel drive she saw Steve and Danny waiting.

The Camaro was pulled up next to the deserted structure and both men were out of the car. Danny was leaning against the hood on the passenger's side, his back to the building, his arms gesticulating wildly. Even without the ability to hear what he was saying Kono knew he was venting his frustration and reminding Steve that he had had a bad feeling about this operation from the start.

Steve was pacing impatiently back and forth giving absolutely no indication at all that he was listening to what his partner was saying. Each time he reached the end of his path and turned back towards the access road he looked anxiously towards the horizon for any sign of Kono and, hopefully, Catherine.

Kono took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she was about to do.

* * *

When he saw Kono's familiar vehicle approaching Steve shielded his eyes against the mid-day sunlight and strained to see if there was anyone riding in the passenger's seat. By the time her car rolled to a stop beside the Camaro it was clear there wasn't.

No Catherine.

His displeasure at that fact was obvious as he approached the driver's side of Kono's car with his arms extended, palms up, and a questioning look on his face.

"Are you ok? Where's Catherine," he demanded before she even had a chance to get completely out of the car. "What did you find in that building?"

"What the hell is going on here?" Danny added as he stepped towards Kono to look for any sign of … well truth be told he wasn't sure exactly what he was looking for … but he knew with absolute certainty that whatever he … they … found out over the next few minutes was not going to be anything that could be qualified as 'good' news.

"Like Catherine told you on the phone," Kono said, focusing all her attention on Steve for the time being since she knew he would have the most visceral reaction to what she was about to share, "the place on Waimai was a set-up. When we went in we found the walls covered with newspaper reports of partygoer deaths. Not only here in Hawaii but going all the way back to the first one in New York City."

"Kono," Steve took a deep breath to calm his growing anxiety, "all I want to know right now is where Catherine is."

"I'm getting to that." Kono held her hands up in front of herself and spoke as calmly as possible.

She knew Steve's anger wasn't directed at her. But she also knew if she told him Catherine was on the run, without giving him at least some idea of what happened in the building on Waimai, and what lead up to her decision to take such a drastic action, he wouldn't understand and he might take off half-cocked and do something rash that could potentially make matters worse.

She didn't blame him for wanting to know where Catherine was.

She wanted to know too.

"What do you mean you're getting to that? It's a simple question. Where is Catherine?" Steve implored her. He put his hands on his hips and gave her a look she'd seen him use many times to get information from an uncooperative witness.

She held her ground.

"It's not that simple, Steve. I'm sorry. But if you'd just let me explain …"

"Please. As quickly as possible," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

He knew that if something bad had happened, if Catherine was in immediate danger or if, God forbid she'd been injured in some way, Kono would have told him immediately. The fact she hadn't done so calmed his fears slightly.

But only slightly.

Danny stepped next to Steve. "Please Kono, go on, just … you know … get there … as soon as possible."

"Right," Kono nodded. "Well as we looked around the room we realized there was all sorts of … evidence I guess you would say … that pointed to you and Cath," she indicated Steve, "being involved in these crimes. Not just the most recent one; all of them."

"What in the world … " Danny asked angrily. "I mean who … manufacturing evidence going back four years isn't something your average run of the mill drug dealer is smart enough to do."

"I don't know who was behind it but the room was full of incriminating stuff. Bank account records, travel documents, stolen cash. I didn't even get a chance to look at everything," Kono said. "But what I saw looked bad."

"That's what Cath said on the phone," Steve shook his head. "I don't understand. How could there be evidence that pointed to Cath and me? We'd never even heard of Makarovich or the partygoer murders before the other day."

"I know," Kono said. "At first we couldn't even get our minds around what we were seeing."

"But then … " Danny prodded her.

"It didn't take long to figure out the two of you were being set up. And at least on the surface someone did a pretty good job. Millions of dollars moving through offshore bank accounts, copies of confidential DEA investigation notes, fake email accounts with emails back and forth detailing the planning of the crimes, and the briefcase with all the money from the first deal."

Steve tried to imagine a reason someone would want to frame them for these particular crimes but couldn't. Currently his attention was focused on another matter.

"Ok, listen, we'll deal with all this other stuff in a minute. Right now I just need to know where Catherine is."

His frustration was about to boil over.

"By the time we figured out what was going on, and called you, we heard a report over the police scanner in the room saying that Schmidt and Winstead, along with lots of back up, were on the way there. We couldn't make out the details but we clearly heard the address. Catherine said if they found the evidence it was all over. You'd both go to jail. At least until we got everything straightened out."

Kono looked at the ground and swallowed hard.

This was the part she dreaded telling the rest of the team, especially Steve.

Clearly he wasn't going to be happy.

She took a deep breath and met his questioning gaze.

Steve looked at her face, saw the reticence there, then squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

Something in his heart and soul knew what she was about to tell him. Knew that faced with that set of circumstances, and no time to work out a plan together, Catherine would choose to protect him, even if it meant putting herself at risk.

If the roles had been reversed, if he and Danny had been the ones to find the evidence, he would have shielded Catherine without a second thought. Done whatever was necessary to ensure her safety and freedom.

And in that moment, standing in that room with Kono, she had done exactly what he would have.

He didn't like the choice she made, hated the idea of her being out there somewhere alone, but he couldn't be too angry when he knew he would have done the same thing.

Danny sensed the shift in Steve's demeanor and looked between his two teammates with confusion.

"And …" he asked, not quite sure what he was missing.

"And Catherine said she couldn't let that happen. Wouldn't let that happen. She said her prints were already all over the room and besides there was no chance to get rid of everything before the cops arrived. She said we needed to grab everything that incriminated Steve but leave everything that pointed to her." Kono filled in the remaining parts of the story.

Steve dropped his chin to his chest.

"She got online and did her best to get rid of all the evidence she could find. Then she grabbed all the hard evidence that had Steve's name on it and said …" Kono hesitated.

"She said she was gonna go into hiding until we had a chance to figure this out," Steve said softly. "And she took everything in that room that pointed to me with her."

"Yeah," Kono sighed. "She said it was important for you to remain above suspicion so that you … we … could figure out who was trying to frame the two of you and why."

"But … wait … I don't understand," Danny spluttered. "You got away … why didn't you bring Catherine with you? Why let her take off somewhere on her own?"

"Because Catherine was afraid that whoever framed us might be tracking everyone on the team and if the police stopped Kono, and she had Catherine and the stolen evidence with her … " Steve trailed off knowing Danny could figure it out from there.

Catherine would never put any of her friends or teammates in jeopardy if she could possibly avoid it. She would rather go it alone than take even the smallest chance one of them might suffer repercussions for helping her.

"Exactly," Kono shook her head. "She said we couldn't take the chance."

"I knew this whole thing was a bad idea," Danny said angrily. "I told you we should have backed out. This whole mission was cursed from the beginning."

Kono chose to focus on Steve and allow Danny time to vent his anger a little.

"Listen, Steve, I told her I thought this was a bad idea. And that I knew you weren't gonna be happy. But she said she had no choice. There was no time to make another plan. She begged me to help her and, well to be honest, I understood where she was coming from and I did it. In her position I probably would have done the same thing."

Steve looked Kono in the eye and saw how conflicted she was about the situation. On the one hand she wanted to insist that Catherine stay close while they did whatever was necessary to clear her name. At least that way they could ensure her safety. On the other hand she understood her friend's instinct to protect Steve, and to limit the team's exposure, even if it meant separating herself and putting her own safety at risk.

"I know you would have wanted it to go differently," Kono continued. "But it all happened so fast and there was no time … "

"You're right, Kono," Steve said with a reassuring smile, more calm than he had been at any time since she arrived at the scene. "I do wish it had gone differently. But no one knows better than me what Catherine is like when she makes up her mind."

Danny looked at Steve incredulously.

"So she's just … what … out there somewhere on her own?" his anger was rising as Steve's dissipated.

"She promised she'd make contact as soon as possible," Kono assured both men. "She _promised_ me that. And she said she'd stay close."

"Her phone?" Steve asked.

"She was afraid someone might be tracking it so she left it," Kono answered.

Steve nodded. He'd figured as much.

Getting rid of the phone was a smart move and one of the first things Catherine would have thought to do. It definitely made it harder for whoever was behind the plan to frame then to track her movements.

Unfortunately it also made it impossible for Steve to initiate contact.

He had no option to but to wait for her to contact him.

And waiting was no generally his strong suit.

"Wait … are you gonna tell me you're ok with this … with Catherine being … I don't know … just out there somewhere? Because I'm not ok with it. And frankly it doesn't seem like the kind of thing you would be ok with either." Danny planted his feet and faced Steve defiantly.

"I'm not ok with it, Danny. At all," Steve said, his voice tight.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Danny shouted.

"We're going to wait." Steve met Danny's angry stare. "I trust Catherine. I feel better knowing she's not just running blindly. She knows what's going on."

"But she's still running … alone," Danny pointed out.

"She'll come up with a plan," Steve assured his partner. "It's what she does. And once she feels safe she'll let the rest of us know where she is."

"Oh, well that makes it alright then." Danny said sarcastically as he threw his arms in the air.

Steve turned to his partner and saw the genuine concern on Danny's face and it softened his reply.

"No, Danny, it isn't alright. Obviously I would much rather Catherine let me take the blame. But she didn't. And neither one of is surprised by that fact, are we?"

"Not really," Danny admitted.

"That's not something she would ever do," Steve continued as Kono leaned against her car and watched her teammates work to come to grips with the situation. "What she did she did to protect me. And as much as I wish it was the other way around … it isn't. There's nothing we can do to change that at this point."

Danny sighed. He knew Steve was right but it didn't make him any less angry about the entire situation. Or less fearful that things would get worse before getting better.

"I just need to trust her to handle her end of this," Steve continued. "She said she'd make contact soon. I need to be ready when she does. I need to be prepared to give her whatever help and support she needs. And being angry would stand in the way of that."

Danny couldn't help the small smile that graced his features at the realization of Steve's total confidence in Catherine. He knew his partner wasn't happy with the thought of her on the run by herself, obviously, but what's done is done and now Steve shifted seamlessly into making sure she had everything she needed to stay safe until the rest of the team could get this whole mess straightened out.

"Ok, but after this is all over, and she's back here safe and sound, I'm gonna have a long talk with her about things," Danny said. "She can't go off half-cocked like … well like you." He pointed at Steve.

"You do that," Steve smiled. "Just make sure I'm not in the room at the time. Now let's go figure this out and Catherine home."

* * *

**2114 Waimai Drive**

**Monday 2:20 P.M.**

As agents Schmidt and Winstead rolled up to the dilapidated building in a bad part of town that had been the object of an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers, they could see local law enforcement had already arrived and secured the scene. There were at least half a dozen squad cars surrounding the small building, all with their lights flashing. At least a dozen uniformed officers were on site. Several of them were stringing crime tape to keep onlookers away though the DEA agents both doubted there would be much foot traffic in this remote area.

Still, you could never be too careful.

An unidentified man called the tip line and claimed he had been present at meetings that had taken place at this address during which several of the partygoer crimes, including the murders of innocent young people, had been planned. He refused to leave his name, or identify his accomplices, but he assured the officer who took his call that all the evidence the police would need to make their case could be found inside that building.

It was all Riley Winstead could do to hold in a smile as she and her partner exited their vehicle and headed inside. The operation with Rodriquez had gone off exactly as planned, except for the two security guards who stumbled across the scene and decided to be heroes, and Dmitri had called twenty minutes earlier to let her know he was back at the safe house with the money.

She regretted the death of the two guards. The information she and Dmitri received from their local sources was that there was a thirty minute window during shift change where no guards would be present. They expected to do the deal during that period and get away with no one being the wiser.

That hadn't happened, for whatever reason, and the guards had to be dealt with. She chalked their deaths up to just one more thing, unfortunate though it might be, that needed to happen to ensure the success of her plan.

It was, in her mind, an acceptable price to pay for her own future happiness.

Their deaths, however, along with Frank Simmons needing to be silenced before he could tell the cops about her, necessitated a small change in her plan. Things were beginning to spiral out of control t a degree and she couldn't risk Dmitri staying on the island a minute longer than necessary. When he called to tell her about the guards' death they decided to move up their schedule slightly. Dmitri arranged for one of his men to make the call to Crime Stoppers and set the plan into action.

As soon as they uncovered the evidence implicating Steve and Catherine, and the heat shifted to them, Dmitri would make his way back to Los Angeles, send the money ahead to their account in Russia through underground channels, then lay low for a week or so before heading to New York and then to his home country.

Riley would stay behind for a few additional weeks, making sure suspicion was squarely on Steve and Catherine, and that the DEA and other agencies were convinced of their guilt, then she would take a leave from her position citing exhaustion brought on by her work on the partygoer cases, and join her lover in Russia. After a few months she would quietly resign her position with the agency and she and Dmitri would live happily ever after free from the fear of prosecution.

At least that was the plan.

She nodded to the young officer standing guard at the door, flashed him her badge, and entered the room she had vacated just six hours earlier after planting all the manufactured evidence against Steve and Catherine, then checking and re-checking to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

"What have you found?" she asked in her best business-like a tone as she and Schmidt came through the door and found Sgt. Duke Lukela surveying some of the papers scattered on the desk that sat in the center of the room.

"There's a lot of stuff here," Duke said tightly, "but to be honest I find it almost impossible to believe."

"What you mean?" Riley feigned ignorance.

"Well according to these papers," Duke handed the pages he'd been reading to Agent Schmidt, "it looks as though Catherine Rollins has an offshore bank account that until a few days ago had millions of dollars in it."

"Catherine Rollins?" Schmidt asked, his voice laced with surprise. "As in Five-O Catherine Rollins?"

"The very same." Duke shook his head indicating his disbelief.

"Let me see those," Riley snatched the papers from her partner in an Oscar-worthy show of shock and surprise.

She looked around the room, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Are these all articles about partygoer murders?" she moved across the room to take a closer look at the newspaper clippings stapled to the far wall, behind the desk. "Are you telling me they planned this … have they been involved all along?"

Schmidt's eyes followed his partner then he turned back to Duke. "What else did you find?"

Duke pulled his attention away from Riley Winstead. He wasn't sure exactly why but there was something about her reaction that didn't ring true to him.

"I haven't had a chance to go through everything yet." He pointed to the briefcase in the corner. "There's a large amount of money … "

Riley cut him off. "That's the money from the first bust. I had that locked in the safe in my hotel room. How did they get that?" she asked heatedly as she turned towards Schmidt. "It looks like they've been playing us right from the start. They must have paid someone off at the hotel to let them into my room when I wasn't there."

Just as Riley was building up a good head of false outrage Chin entered the room. He'd gone ahead to the scene of the guards' death after Steve and Danny diverted to meet Kono, and gathered all the information he could from that location. Afterwards, as he drove back across the island, Steve filled him in on the details of what happened with Kono and Catherine and asked him to go to the address on Waimai and see what was happening there.

The rest of the team, minus Catherine, would be there soon.

As Chin entered Duke shot him a look that let him know something bad was happening.

"You," Riley wheeled and faced Chin. "Where are McGarrett and Rollins?"

As his partner spoke Agent Schmidt began looking through the papers in the rusty file cabinets. After a cursory glance he moved over and began to quickly scan the papers on the desk.

"I don't know exactly." Chin played it cool. "Why?"

"Look around you," Riley spat out. "They've been in on this whole thing all along. They planned it. Probably planned all the other ones too. They're dirty. And I'm going to make them pay."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Chin said evenly as he met Riley Winstead's icy glare.

"I hope for your sake you're telling the truth about that," she growled. "Because if I find out you did know you're going down for this just like your corrupt friends."

"I don't know what you think you've found," Chin said, his voice rising slightly, "but I can assure that neither Steve nor Catherine had anything to do with these murders. Not the latest one and not the ones that came before."

"Well that's not what this," Riley waved her arms to indicate all the evidence in the room, "says."

"Actually," Agent Schmidt pointed out as he opened the desk drawers and flipped quickly through the contents, "there's nothing here that indicates McGarrett was involved. It all points to Catherine Rollins only."

"What?" Riley said, her face registering shock. "That can't be."

Chin took note of her reaction.

"Why can't it be?" he asked. "I mean to be clear I think that everything in this room is fabricated evidence, and I want that on the record, but why would you assume it would indicate both of them?"

"Well for one thing they're practically attached at the hip," Riley snotted.

"That's not true at all," Chin shook his head.

Duke watched the exchange with interest and sensed a definite undertone in Chin's remarks. He knew enough to keep his head down and stay out of it as much as possible until he had a chance to talk to Chin and the rest of the Five-O team to see what was going on.

"They live together, they work together," Riley ticked off on her fingers.

"Now," Chin conceded, "but neither of things was true four years ago when these crimes first started. Catherine wasn't even in the country then."

"Exactly," Riley said triumphantly. "She was overseas where she was in a much better position to direct the supply line of drugs coming back to her boyfriend in the states."

"She was working with Navy Intel at the time," Chin scoffed. "Don't you think they might have noticed her running a drug operation in her free time?"

"Well then how else did she get," Riley looked at the papers she was still holding, "eleven million dollars in an offshore bank account?"

Chin held out his hand and Riley passed him the documents. After perusing them for a second he looked up and said, "According to these papers she has no money in an offshore account."

"Because she transferred it all out a few days ago," Riley said angrily, "When she knew we were on to her."

"Transferred it where?" Chin asked.

"Well I guess I'm just gonna have to find out," Riley said as she snatched the papers back heatedly. "You have to be missing something," she spat out as she turned angrily back to her partner. "There's no way Rollins is involved in this without McGarrett."

"Well if he's involved too he's covering his tracks better than she is," Schmidt said. "There's nothing here that indicates his involvement in any way."

Riley sorted irritably through all the papers on the desktop looking for the ones she'd prepared that pointed to Steve McGarrett as a guilty party. The fake bank account records, the travel documents highlighting questionable trips to the region, the handwritten notes mentioning the involvement of an ex-military man in Hawaii.

Nothing.

They were gone.

Every one of them.

Riley tried to appear calm on the outside but inside she was beginning to panic. Who had taken some of the documents and left others behind. And why?

She wheeled around and faced Duke.

"Was anything removed from this room before Agent Schmidt and I got here?"

"Nothing," Duke assured her. "The scene was secured just like you asked. The only person who's been in this room is me and I took nothing. Search me if you want."

"That won't be necessary," Riley grumbled.

"What makes you think anything is missing?" Schmidt asked as he looked through the evidence in the filing cabinets again.

"I don't know," Riley said. "It's just a feeling I have."

She needed time to figure out what was going on.

She needed time to think.

She didn't look forward to telling Dmitri about this possible snag. She was going to put that off as long as possible. If she could get the investigation back on track, and pointed towards both Rollins and McGarrett, she might never have to let her lover know about this little hiccup.

"Get on the radio," she said to Duke. "I want Catherine Rollins brought in for questioning right away."

If she could accomplish at least that much there was still a good chance she could save the plan.

* * *

**2114 Waimai Drive**

**Monday 2:45 P.M.**

Steve pulled the Camaro to a stop at the edge of the taped off scene, their arrival mostly hidden from the view of those inside the run down structure currently serving as the epicenter of the investigation, by the myriad of police cars with flashing lights that stood between the them and the building's front door.

He put the car in park, turned off the engine, and unbuckled his seat belt. Before opening the door to exit the car and head inside he turned to Danny. The ride over was mostly quiet, with each man lost in his own thoughts. But before they embarked on what was sure to be a tough investigation Steve needed to make sure they were on the same page.

"I know you're not happy with the way this whole thing is going," he said quietly.

Danny nodded his agreement.

"And I'm not either. You have to know that."

"I do," Danny assured him.

One thing he'd learned early on in their partnership was that Steve doesn't deal in 'ifs' or 'what might have beens'. He deals in the reality of the situation in front of him. Danny always thought it was the result of his SEAL training. No one believed in meticulous planning of a mission more than his partner but Steve was also able to make lightning fast adjustments if things went sideways.

Danny knew without a doubt that Steve hated where things currently stood but that wouldn't keep him from doing everything in his power to support Catherine's decision and to work to make sure her actions weren't in vain.

"And once this is all over," Steve continued, pulling Danny out of his reverie, "if you want to say 'I told you so' you can. I mean you felt like from the beginning this was a mistake."

"I'm not taking any pleasure in that," Danny said.

"I know you're not. It's just that, right now," Steve sighed and tried to find the right words, "well … there's nothing we can do to change what's happened. We can't undo Catherine's actions. She made a decision about how she was going to proceed and we have to support that. No matter what."

"I understand that," Danny said. "And I do support Catherine. You know I do."

"I just need to know you're completely on board moving forward." Steve looked at Danny with pleading eyes. "We may have to do things neither one of us wants to do. So I just need to know you're ok with that."

"I am," Danny said with certainty. "Nothing means more to me right now than figuring out what the hell is going on here and getting Catherine home safely. I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."

"Thanks." Steve breathed a sigh of relief.

"But just to be clear, it's not for you. It's for Cammie." Danny smiled.

"Understood." Steve couldn't help but grin.

"But like I said before, after this is over, all bets are off," Danny made clear. "I reserve the right to say I told you so."

"Got it," Steve nodded. "Now let's get in there and see what the hell is going on."

He and Danny got out of the car and were joined immediately by Kono, who had pulled up and parked behind them. As the three of them flashed their badges and made their way under the crime scene tape Chin approached.

"What's happening Chin?" Steve asked.

"Pretty much what we expected," Chin said, keeping his voice low, "but be warned. Winstead is out for your blood too. Despite the lack of evidence."

"So you think she's the one behind the frame?" Kono asked.

"Hard to be sure," Chin said. "I'm gonna check both her and Schmidt out when I get back to the office. But in the meantime, like we said before, I think it's a good idea if we keep all our suspicions and information just between us."

"Sounds good. Have you gotten a chance to look at the evidence?" Danny asked.

"Only briefly. I really need to get copies of everything so I can figure out where it came from."

Chin looked over his shoulder to see if the DEA agents had been alerted to Steve's presence yet. He knew they were both eager to talk to the Commander and see what he knew both about this case and about Catherine's whereabouts.

"I'll take care of it," Steve said confidently.

"I'm telling you, Steve, she isn't likely to hand anything over to you, or any of us for that matter," Chin warned.

"Well then she can hand it over to the Governor," Steve said testily, "and he can hand it over to us. Whatever it takes, however many favors I have to call in, I'm gonna get copies of all the evidence in that room."

"I got a pretty good look at the offshore banking record." Chin pulled out his phone and starting jotting down notes from memory. "I can probably come up with enough to get started."

"And I got a good look at some of the other stuff when I was here with … " Kono stopped herself, "I can probably remember some of the stuff I saw."

"That's good." Steve took a deep breath. "Now let's go in and see what we can find out before they try to cut us out of the investigation completely."

The team turned and headed towards the building.

"Put gloves on before you get anywhere near that room," Kono reminded Steve. "We have to make sure that they don't find a single fingerprint of yours in that building. Let's not hand them any ammunition."

"Good point. We should all put on gloves," Danny said.

He asked the nearest patrol officer for several pairs of gloves and distributed them to the others as they reached the front door.

They were barely inside before Steve was confronted by Riley Winstead.

"Where is your girlfriend, Commander McGarrett," she asked angrily.

"At this exact moment I have no idea," Steve said honestly.

"I find that hard to believe." Riley glared at him.

"I don't care what you believe," Steve said, fighting to stay calm. "I have no idea where Catherine is at this moment."

"And next you're gonna tell me you had no idea she was involved in the partygoer murders," Riley scoffed.

"She wasn't involved in the partygoer murders," Steve said confidently.

"Well that's not what the evidence says." Agent Schmidt joined the conversation. He was skeptical at first but the more he looked at the papers lying around the room the more he became convinced of Catherine's involvement.

"The evidence is wrong," Steve said, staying in place while the other members of the team fanned out and began looking at the evidence.

As always, he had no intention of answering anything other than the question asked or in this case the accusation hurled.

He refused to give the people trying to condemn Catherine any free information.

"It seems impossible to me that your girlfriend was masterminding a multi-million dollar drug operation and you didn't know anything about it. And didn't help in any way," Riley accused. She knew if she could push the right button Steve would explode and once that happened he would be more likely to say something she could spin to her advantage.

"Catherine wasn't masterminding any drug operation," Steve scoffed.

"Then how do you explain this," Schmidt asked, waving around a handful of papers. "This looks pretty incriminating.

"Someone's trying to frame her." Steve remained calm on the outside but on the inside he wanted nothing more than to take the evidence Schmidt was waving in his face and shove it down the man's throat. "I know Catherine. She would never be involved in something like this."

Riley Winsted glowered at Steve, trying to determine if he knew anything about the missing evidence.

"Have your team fingerprint every surface in this room," she said over her shoulder to Duke.

"Oh shoot," they heard Kono say from her place beside the filing cabinets.

"What?" Winstead asked, agitation clear in her voice.

Kono held up her bare hands. "I was so thrown by the whole situation I forgot to put my evidence gloves on."

"You what?" Riley asked angrily. "What have you touched?"

"I'm not sure," Kono said. "The file cabinets, maybe the door, a few things on the desk."

Riley looked at her suspiciously. "Just make sure the technicians have your prints so we can rule them out."

"I will," Kono said with false contrition. "I'm really sorry."

"Commander McGarrett," Riley said sharply. "Can I see you outside for a moment?"

* * *

**2114 Waimai Drive**

**Monday 3:10 P.M.**

Riley Winstead made her way out the front door and across the gravel lot outside the small, rundown building that she had become so familiar with over the last twenty four hours. When she initially saw the place she wasn't sure it was going to fit their needs. Rollins and McGarrett could certainly find a more secure space in a safer part of town to use as a base of operations. But it was the best they could do on short notice so she decided she would have to make it work.

Frank Simmons knew Dmitri Makarovich from New York and owed him a favor. Several favors as a matter of fact. Luckily he happened to own a number of seedy buildings on Oahu, bought with the proceeds of a drug deal no doubt, and he was willing to rent one of them out to her and more importantly to swear to anyone who asked he had rented it out years ago to Steve McGarrett.

Unfortunately, Simmons wasn't exactly true to his word.

He didn't like being in jail, didn't like being denied access to booze and cocaine, and wasn't shy about telling anyone who would listen he had a plan to get out. Word soon got back to Makarovich that Simmons, who wasn't even supposed to be present when the drug bust happened in the first place, was willing to trade what he knew about the operation for his freedom.

Even though Simmons didn't know much he could definitely identify both Riley and Dmitri.

They couldn't allow that to happen.

Dmitri used his connections inside the prison to assure Simmons would never get the chance to talk to police. His death solved the immediate problem but again it left Makarovich feeling uneasy. There were too many close calls recently. He feared they were beginning to get careless and if they didn't wrap up the whole operation soon they might end behind bars themselves.

He expressed those fears to Riley and she did her best to calm them. But if pressed she would admit to a certain amount of apprehension of her own.

When she finally reached a spot where she thought she could have a modicum of privacy she turned to face Steve McGarrett. She ground her teeth when she saw him making his way slowly towards her, taking his time, acting for all the world like a man without a care.

He knew something.

She was sure of it.

It was time to find out what.

* * *

**2114 Waimai Drive**

**Monday 3:10 P.M.**

Steve made his way deliberately across the lot ten paces or so behind Agent Winstead, nodding at several HPD officers on the way, stopping to pick a piece of gravel out of the bottom of his boot, until finally he was standing directly opposite her. He could feel the anger rolling off her in waves and had no intention of letting it get to him.

Screwing with his life, trying to frame him, that was one thing. He could deal with that.

But whoever was involved this time had messed with Catherine and her life and her freedom and her happiness and that was something Steve simply would not tolerate. There was absolutely nothing he wouldn't do to ensure Catherine's safety and make sure whoever was trying to frame her paid a price.

A steep price.

He didn't know if Riley Winstead was directly involved, though her behavior was certainly suspicious. Maybe she simply trusted the planted evidence and saw a chance to finally make an arrest in a case whose resolution had eluded her for four years. Whichever was true, Steve wasn't going to let her anger or her recrimination or her accusations stand in the way of his clearing Catherine's name and getting her home safely

"What can I do for you Agent Winstead," he asked impatiently.

"You can cut the crap and tell me what's going on," she ground out.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Steve held her gaze evenly.

"Where is Catherine Rollins?"

I told you at the present time I don't know," he repeated, again honestly.

"If she contacts you I want you to call me immediately," Riley said as menacingly as she could manage.

"I don't work for you, Agent Winstead," Steve pointed out. "I run my own investigation."

"I plan on securing a warrant for her arrest within the hour," she taunted him.

"I assumed as much."

"If she contacts you and you don't let me know you'll be harboring a fugitive." Riley placed her hands on her hips and pulled herself up to her full height.

"I understand," Steve nodded.

"Your powerful friends can't protect you this time, Commander. I'll have ten federal agencies on your ass by morning," she threatened.

"My ass?" Steve sharpened his tone slightly. "Why my ass? I was under the impression there was nothing in that room that implicated me. Whoever planted that evidence, whoever manufactured it, they must have been after just Catherine."

"That's going to be a hard story to sell," Riley said haughtily, studying Steve's face closely for any signs he suspected she was the one who planted the evidence. "That your girlfriend was running this whole thing right under your nose and you knew nothing about it."

"I told you," Steve placed his own hands on his hips, mirroring her stance; "Catherine wasn't involved."

"I don't have time to go around in circles with you, Commander. If you hear from your girlfriend I expect you to let me know."

Steve didn't respond.

Danny, who'd been watching from the front window with Chin and Kono, sensed the stand-off might be heading in a bad direction and decided to step in. He exited the building and crossed the lot quickly to stand beside Steve.

"We're just about ready to get out of here," he said. "Head back to the office."

"I was just explaining to the Commander here," Riley focused her gaze on Danny, "that if he, or any of you, hear from Catherine Rollins I expect to be notified immediately."

"I don't work for you, Agent Winstead," Danny said.

Steve covered his laugh with a cough as Riley sneered. "Do you all work off a script?"

"What is she talking about?" Danny turned to his partner with a puzzled expression.

"Don't worry about it," Steve smiled.

"You all think you're so clever. But I'll get the last laugh I assure you," she said as she looked up and saw her partner walking towards her.

"I'm headed for the courthouse to swear out a warrant," Schmidt said. "Are you coming?"

"Absolutely," Riley said spitefully. "Remember what I said."

She looked meaningfully at the two men she had grown to consider adversaries before she and Schmidt headed for their car. Steve and Danny watched until the agents' rented black SUV pulled away. As they turned back towards the building they saw Chin, Kono and Duke approaching.

"So what do you think?" Chin asked.

"There's definitely something going on with Winstead," Steve answered. "Either she's in on the frame or she's willing to overlook the obvious for the sake of making an arrest."

"Either way," Danny said, "she's a potential problem."

"I gave Duke a quick rundown of what's going on," Chin said.

"I'd never ask you to do anything illegal." Steve turned to Duke. "Or anything that could potentially get you in trouble."

"I know that," Duke replied.

"All I ask is that you make sure anything they find out, we find out," Steve requested. "And if you could arrange for me to get copies of all the evidence you're collecting … "

"Well, the DEA agents did ask me to keep Five-O out of the loop because of the potential conflict of interest," Duke said. "Yet in all the confusion they forgot to submit the required written request."

Steve raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure you wanna do this Duke?"

"Do what? I'm just a lowly civil servant. People put in requests for things and, unless I'm precluded from giving it to them by objections filed through the proper channels, I turn it over."

"Can I please put in a request for copies of all the evidence from inside the building?" Steve asked.

"I'll send it right over," Duke chuckled.

"I'll owe you Duke," Steve smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind," Duke said wryly as he turned to go talk to his team and make sure the evidence was transported to HPD quickly so he could make copies before the DEA remembered to file the paperwork disallowing him from sharing it with Five-O.

"I'm gonna head over to the Hilton to get my equipment from the conference room then head back to the office," Chin said.

"I'll help you," Kono offered.

"Yeah, I need to stop there too to get our stuff out of the room. Let's do that and then we'll all meet back at headquarters."

* * *

**Courthouse**

**Honolulu **

**Monday 4:45 P.M.**

After a quick stop at the local DEA field office to arrange the necessary documents including a statement from the officer who took the Crime Stoppers call and a document signed by Sgt. Lukela attesting that the evidence was gathered according to Hawaii statute, Agents Schmidt and Winstead headed for the courthouse, located practically next to Iolani Palace, to swear out a warrant for the arrest of Lieutenant Catherine Rollins, Naval Reserve officer and member of Governor's Task Force.

The air crackled with tension as many people in the building had heard rumors of what was going on. It didn't take long for information to rocket around the island. Especially when the object of the gossip was none other than Steve McGarrett and his longtime girlfriend. They certainly had their share of supporters, but Riley was sure that like all people in their position, they had their share of enemies as well. She was hoping she could tap into some of those enemies to help get her plan back on track.

The angry looks they were getting as they wound their way through the halls made it clear to the visiting agents that many of the people present today, the lawyers and the court staff as well those simply conducting business in the building, not only viewed them as interlopers, but clearly didn't believe that Catherine Rollins was in any way involved in the partygoer deaths or the drug organization believed to be behind them.

The agents held their ground and ignored the stares of the regular denizens of the courthouse. Riley Winstead expected to be back here soon swearing out an even more shocking warrant against Commander Steve McGarrett, the hand-picked head of the Governor's Task Force.

She planned to follow that up by personally arresting both McGarrett and Rollins and parading them past these same people on the way to their murder arraignments. Once they were charged in State Court she would do her best to make sure they were both were charged in Federal Court with every offense possible.

She returned the glare of three women huddled in the corner, whispering amongst themselves. She was more than prepared to deal with a little pushback from the locals. Especially when the payoff was her every dream coming true.

As they approached the door to the judge's chambers Riley hung back.

"You can handle this alone right?" She nodded towards he papers in Schmidt's hands. "I want to call LA and fill them in on the latest developments."

"I assume the local office filled them in already," Schmidt said, stopping when she did but clearly wanting to get into chambers and get the matter taken care of as quickly as possible. The court house was about to close and he didn't want to have to pull a judge away from the dinner table to come back in and sign the warrant.

"I know but it's just, this is my baby. I've been with it since the beginning," she said. "I want to make sure we don't fumble the ball at the goal line."

"No problem. I have your sworn affidavit. I can handle this alone," Schmidt said, secretly pleased she was letting him take the lead on this part of the investigation. Having his name on the warrant that brought in Rollins would be a feather in his cap and a stepping stone to advancement at the agency.

"Great. I'll wait right here then," Riley indicated a small, unoccupied alcove.

As soon as Schmidt disappeared through the two heavy wooden doors leading to the judge's chambers she stepped closer to the wall and dialed Dmitri's familiar number.

"Did it work?" he asked anxiously, ignoring the usual pleasantries.

"Relax, baby. Everything's under control. We're at the court house right now getting a warrant to arrest Catherine Rollins."

"I saw the report on the local news," Makarovich said. "But there was no mention of McGarrett."

Riley had no intention of telling him anything about the missing evidence unless she absolutely had to. He was edgy enough between the dead security guards and the dead Frank Simmons. She knew he was spooked by all the recent close calls and the last thing she needed was to worry he would jump the gun and do something stupid in an attempt to wrap things up.

She still had faith she could get her plan back on track and bring McGarrett under suspicion. She just had to be extra careful. Whoever removed the evidence that incriminated McGarrett might be watching for anything new to pop up. She doubted whoever it was knew she was involved. She'd been too careful for that. Covered all her tracks.

All she needed was a chance to slip new copies of the evidence into the investigation somehow. That was where she thought some of McGarrett's enemies might be useful. She just needed time to figure out who his most powerful enemies were.

The Commander acted so calm and superior now. But she couldn't wait to see how different he felt once Rollins was behind bars. She was not above playing on McGarrett's fear of his girlfriend's safety in prison. She planned to use that fear to trip him up and create an opportunity to cast doubt on _his_ innocence as well.

"McGarrett has friends in high places," she said calmly. "But they can't protect him forever."

"Are you sure?" Makarovich asked.

"I'm positive," she said. "You let me worry about the investigation. You just concentrate on plans to get back to LA, get our money to Russia, and get yourself safely out of the country."

"I'm going to have to lay low for a couple of extra days because of the dead security guards," Dmitri huffed. "They're scrutinizing everyone trying to get off the island."

"But you can still fly out on Rodriquez' private jet, right?"

Riley had a lot on her mind and didn't need to add the worry of how Dmitri was going to get off the island to her mental to do list.

"Yes," Dmitri responded, "But he said they're scrutinizing flight manifests closely so he wants to let the heat die down for seventy two hours. That's not a problem is it?"

"I don't see any reason why it should be," Riley said as she bit her lip. "All the heat should be on McGarrett and Rollins and their associates by then and you'll be able to slip back to the mainland unnoticed."

"Sounds good. When am I going to see you?" Makarovich shifted gears.

Riley smiled. "I'll try to slip away tonight. I'll call you later and let you know for sure."

"I miss you, golubushka."

"I miss you too, baby. I'll see you soon."

When Riley looked up she saw Schmidt strutting back through the wooden doors, chest puffed out, warrant in hand.

"Gotta go. Talk to you later," she said as she quickly disconnected the call.

"Everything ok?" Schmidt asked as he approached her with a cocky smile.

"Yeah … fine. They're really happy with the progress. Did you get the warrant?"

Schmidt waved the piece of paper triumphantly. "Got it. Now let's go arrest Catherine Rollins."

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Room 6115**

**Monday 5:15 P.M.**

Steve and Danny exited the elevator on the sixth floor of the Hilton Hawaiian Village and made their way the short distance down the carpeted hallway to Room 6115. They kept a watchful eye out the whole way for anyone that might appear to be following them. They'd taken a circuitous route after they left the building on Waimai, doubling back twice on their way to the hotel, trying to ascertain if they'd picked up a tail.

Steve knew it was only a matter of time.

After his last conversation with Agent Winstead, where she made it clear that not only did she believe Catherine was involved in the crimes but she believed Steve was as well, he was fully expecting surveillance to begin at any minute. There was nothing he could do to stop it, so the next best thing was to keep track of it so if the moment arose when they needed to shake it, they could.

He was relieved when he slipped his key card in the door and the light turned green. He was concerned Winstead might have moved to restrict his access since the room had been arranged by the DEA.

He and Danny entered and looked around carefully.

"Housekeeping has been here," Steve noted. "Let's see if anyone else has."

He moved across the room and opened the top drawer of the small wooden dresser. His clothes were all still neatly folded and stacked. As far as he could tell they hadn't been touched. When he opened the second drawer of the small dresser his heart stood still.

It was empty.

Catherine's things were gone.

Danny saw Steve tense up and reacted immediately.

"What's wrong?" he asked, crossing the room to look in the drawer.

"Catherine's things are gone. All her clothes." He moved quickly to the bathroom. "All her toiletries. Everything. It's all gone."

"Do you think the feds took it?" Danny asked.

"I don't know," Steve said angrily.

At this point the entire team had suspicions that one or both of the DEA agents might be involved in the planting of the false evidence. But they had no solid proof. And they couldn't develop tunnel vision to the point they didn't stop to consider there might be someone else involved.

Someone with a personal reason for wanting Steve and Catherine out of the way.

Steve continued to look around the room for some clue as to who might have been there. He made his way to the small bedside table and opened the drawer.

"Her book is gone. And her lotion."

"Wait a minute. Let's think about this," Danny said, trying to staunch his own growing panic. "If it was the feds, if she'd been arrested, we would have heard."

"Probably," Steve agreed uneasily.

"And if it was," Danny struggled for the right words, "anyone else … they probably wouldn't have been so neat."

"Unless they were trying to cover their tracks." Steve growled.

Danny could feel his partner's anger growing.

"Let's get out of here and get back to the office," Steve snarled as he grabbed his duffel bag from the luggage rack and tossed it on the bed.

As Steve went to the dresser to grab his clothes Danny headed to the bathroom to grab his partner's toiletries and check once more for any sign of something belonging to Catherine.

No luck.

As he reentered the bedroom he saw Steve yank open his bag, stop short, then drop his clothes unceremoniously onto the bedspread. His eyes were transfixed on something in the bottom of his duffel bag.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Danny asked anxiously.

Steve reached into the camouflage bag and pulled out something Danny couldn't identify. That was until Steve turned to him, unfolded his buds t-shirt and held it up.

His face broke out in a wide smile.

"Nothing's wrong." He heaved a sigh of relief. "Everything's ok."

"Because you found your t-shirt?" Danny asked, clearly confused.

"This isn't my t-shirt," Steve beamed. "Well it is … or it was … but Catherine stole it a long time ago to wear as a sleep shirt. She slept in it last night."

His mind flashed back to the night before.

_He was sitting on the bed looking at pictures Grace had sent of Cammie enjoying the sleepover when he looked up and saw Catherine exiting the bathroom. She was fresh out of the shower, towel drying her hair and wearing his buds t-shirt and a pair of well-worn sleep pants._

_His breath caught. _

_Even in an old t-shirt she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen._

_She caught him looking and smiled, 'What?'_

'_Nothing,' he answered, smiling back at her, 'Grace sent some pictures.'_

"So you think … " Danny began to relax as well and his words pulled Steve back to the present.

"This shirt was with Catherine's things. The only way it could possibly have ended up folded neatly in the bottom of my duffel bag is if Catherine put it there herself."

"So you think she was here?" Danny asked.

"I'm sure of it," Steve smiled. "She'd know better than to go home and get her things from there. Who knows who's watching the house? And her go bags are in her car and my truck and it's very possible they're being watched too. So she took a chance that they forgot about the stuff here at the hotel."

"Smart move," Danny smiled.

"That's my girl," Steve said proudly.

"You think this means she's ok?" Danny asked hopefully.

"It means she's thinking, planning, making deliberate moves. And when Catherine is doing those things she's impossible to beat."

"That's good then," Danny said as he dropped Steve's toiletries into the bag. "So do you think this was what she meant when she said she'd contact you?"

"I hope not," Steve said. "I want to talk to her. And she'll know that. Let's head back to the office and hopefully she'll find a way to make contact there.

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Lobby**

**Monday 6:00 P.M.**

Steve and Danny finished gathering up Steve's possessions then headed to the lobby to thank the manager and let him know they were leaving. Despite the nasty turn the case had taken Steve appreciated the way the staff at the Hilton Hawaiian Village was always so accommodating any time they needed help. He didn't want to let that fact go unacknowledged.

They exited the elevator and crossed to the front desk where Steve asked to speak to the manager. Danny did a quick assessment of the lobby but didn't spot anyone who looked like a fed that might be tailing them.

His eyes landed on a television situated in the middle of the large space which was tuned to a news broadcast currently trumpeting BREAKING NEWS. Danny stepped closer so he could hear what was being said. Agents Schmidt and Winstead were front and center, on the courthouse steps, crowing about how they had secured a warrant for Catherine's arrest and were sure there would be more warrants to follow.

"Putzes," Danny said out loud, drawing the attention of a few tourists who had also been watching the report.

He turned to his left and saw Steve shaking hands with Jake Oliver, the Hilton Hawaiian Village property manager. He was an ex-Army Ranger and a man for whom both Steve and Danny had tremendous respect. They'd asked him for favors on a number of occasions, usually on short notice, and Jake had come through with flying colors each time, never asking for anything in return.

His daughter, Tina, much to her father's chagrin, had dreams of attending the Naval Academy and Steve and Catherine had both written her a glowing letter of recommendation.

Steve soon spotted Danny and joined him in front of the television where the DEA agents were now taking questions.

"Asses," Steve grumbled.

"What did Jake have to say?" Danny asked as he turned away from the television, not eager to hear any more of Riley Winstead's gloating.

"He said the feds haven't been here to talk to him yet," Steve said distractedly, unable to tear his eyes away from the screen. "I told him not to believe everything he hears."

"What'd he say to that?" Danny chuckled.

"He said he knows Catherine well enough to know that everything they're saying is a lie," Steve replied with a small smile.

"Then let's get out of here and go prove him right," Danny turned towards the door but stopped when he heard Jake call, "Steve!"

Both men turned and saw Jake holding up a phone receiver. "Call for you."

"For me?" Steve looked at Danny with his eyebrows knit in confusion and headed back across the lobby.

"Thanks Jake," he said then put the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"

"Big Kahuna. It's me," Kamekona's familiar voice drifted across the line. "I need to see you."

Steve sighed. "Not today, buddy. I'm right in the middle of something big."

"I know," Kamekona said. "I watch the news. I hear the gossip. I know what's going on."

"So you know I'm busy." Steve tried not to be impatient but he just had no time for anything right now other than clearing Catherine.

"I do, but this … what I need to see you about … has something to do with that case. A little birdie told me you were currently at the hotel and I decided to call on their line just in case yours was being listened in on."

He had to admit it wasn't like his friend to be so secretive. Still he tried to placate him.

"Kamekona, look, I can send someone over …" Steve started.

"Come yourself," Kamekona cut him off. "ASAP. You'll be sorry if you don't."

He hung up the phone and headed back towards Danny who was waiting near the door to the parking lot.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Kamekona. He says he has something important that might pertain to Catherine's case."

"Did he say what?"

"He wouldn't say over the phone," Steve huffed.

"What do you think?"

"I think no one is more tuned into what's going on on this island than him. I'll give him five minutes but if this is a wild goose chase he's gonna be sorry.

* * *

**Kamekona's Shrimp Trailer**

**Monday 7:00 P.M.**

"Ok, I'm here. What's so important?" Steve asked impatiently as he and Danny walked up and found Kamekona standing placidly beside one of the picnic-style tables in front of his trailer, apparently awaiting their arrival.

Something in Steve's demeanor told Kamekona to get straight to the point.

"You need to see something inside the trailer." He indicated with his head.

"I don't have time to play games," Steve said, his temper growing short.

"Detective Williams, could I bother you to take a look inside the trailer please while I explain to the Commander that I would not have called if I didn't believe this particular turn of events was important?"

Danny could tell Steve was his losing patience so he decided to look in the trailer just for the sake of speeding things along, though like his partner he couldn't imagine anything he might find at this point that would possibly tear Steve's attention away from the matter at hand.

Nevertheless, he crossed the blacktop to the trailer and as he made his way to the entry in back he noticed the presence of two of Kamekona's Sumo friends immediately outside the door. They said nothing, but nodded politely, which Danny returned as he stepped up into the truck.

He stood immediately inside the door and looked cautiously to his left, then right, and saw nothing. He walked to one end of the trailer to investigate, then turned and headed back towards the other. Just as he was about to give up he sensed something moving in the small alcove beside one of the refrigerators.

A split second later a person stepped out.

His hand went to his chest as his heart started pounding and it was all Danny could do to stifle his scream.

"Catherine," he said as he stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Are you ok?" he asked as he pulled back slightly.

"I'm fine," she said. "And … umm … no offense Danny because it's great to see you, but where's Steve?"

"Outside being stubborn. Probably lecturing Kamekona on wasting his time. I don't think it's even crossed his mind you might be here."

"I told him I'd make contact," Catherine said matter-of-factly. "This seemed like as good as place as any."

"You were at the hotel earlier?" Danny asked.

"Yes, I needed a few things, and a bathing suit to fit in down here at the beach," Catherine indicated her current attire, "so I headed back there before the feds remembered and grabbed my stuff. Did Steve find my message?"

"He did," Danny smiled, remembering the complete shift in Steve's mood when he saw the t-shirt in the bottom of his bag.

These two really did have their own way of communicating.

"Is he mad about what I did?" Catherine asked hesitantly.

Danny looked at her with an affectionate smile. "He's not mad … per se … he just wishes it was the other way around."

Catherine smiled with relief and gave Danny a quick peck on the cheek. "I don't want to rush you off but Kamekona has arranged a place for me to stay tonight and we need to leave soon so … "

"Oh, you wanna see Steve?" Danny teased.

"Please," Catherine said as she pointed to cardboard box sitting on the counter. "I want to give him the evidence I took from the place on Waimai that has his name on it."

"Ok, I'll get him. But listen … you be careful. You hear me?" Danny put his hands on Catherine's shoulders.

"I hear you, Danny."

"And if you need anything … anything at all … you forget the surveillance and what they might do and you call."

"I will. I promise," Catherine blinked back tears

"Ok, I'll go get Steve for you."

Danny cast one last glance over his shoulder then exited the truck and made his way quickly back to where Steve and Kamekona were engaged in a bit of a staring contest.

"You're seriously gonna wanna go in there and take a look. Then we can head back to the office," he said.

Steve looked at Danny's face and could tell immediately whatever Kamekona wanted him to see wasn't a joke. He headed towards the back of the truck, eager to get whatever it was over with and get back to concentrating on clearing Catherine.

As he made his way around the rear of the vehicle Kamekona's Sumo friends nodded impassively, just as they had with Danny, but said nothing.

Steve nodded back.

And suddenly it dawned on him what, or who was inside the trailer.

And he knew he owed Kamekona an apology.

He tore open the door, took both steps up in one leap and was inside the trailer in a flash.

When he looked to his right he saw her.

And in two strides she was in his arms.

"Are you ok? Are you ok? Please tell me you're ok?" he said over and over, his head buried in her hair.

"I'm fine." she said, pulling back far just enough to see his face, to assure him she was really ok, then she leaned in and kissed him passionately.

As he deepened the kiss she lost herself in the touch and feel of him, his hands, his lips, his tongue, his solid body. But she could only allow herself that indulgence for a few seconds.

"Steve, I can't stay here long. It's too dangerous. There are too many people."

"We'll take you back to the office," he said as he peppered her with kisses. "We'll hide you there somehow."

He took a small step back and began combing over every inch of her body, checking for injuries of any kind.

"I'd love that, Steve, but you know it would never work. They'll search the office for sure. Kamekona found me a place to stay for a few nights. He swears it's completely safe and I trust him."

"I do too," Steve said. "Despite my bad behavior of a few minutes ago."

He pulled Catherine back into his arms and she came willingly, wrapping her own arms tightly around him. After a few minutes of simply enjoying the feel of being back in each other's arms she needed to ask,

"Are you mad at me?"

He leaned back and looked deeply into her eyes. He needed her to understand that he was sincere. "I'm not mad, Cath. I just … I wish it was me on the run."

The look on his face caused her words to catch in her throat.

She kissed him softly on the lips.

"I'm stealthier than you," she teased.

"I don't think so," he teased back, enjoying just holding her and sharing a moment of happiness.

"We don't have much time," she said again sadly, "and I needed to give you this."

She pointed to a cardboard box marked 16 oz. take out cups that was sitting on the counter.

Steve pulled back the flaps and it only took a minute for him to realize what was in the box.

All the evidence Catherine had removed from the building on Waimai.

"I thought you might be able to use that," she said.

"I can," Steve smiled and kissed her again.

"You owe Kamekona thirty eight dollars for copying," she said against his lips.

"What?" he pulled back slightly and looked at her.

"He made me a copy of everything so I can help with the investigation. He went to the Kinko's where his cousin works so he wouldn't draw any attention. But it cost him thirty eight bucks and I can't use my debit card so … "Catherine said.

"I'll take care of it," Steve smiled.

"Ok, then one last kiss and you need to go before anyone starts to wonder what's going on."

Steve pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. "Keep in touch, Cath. I mean it. And if you need anything at all, or you start to feel like something is going wrong, you call me. I'll be there right away."

"I know you will," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. "And you be careful until we figure out exactly what's going on."

"I will," he promised her.

"Kiss Cammie for me and tell her I'll be home soon."

"We're gonna figure this out and get you back where you belong," Steve said, stealing one last kiss. "You can trust me on that."

"I do trust you, Steve," Catherine caressed the side of his face softly. "Always."

* * *

**End Chapter 3**

If you are not on the REALMcRoll email list and would like to be, drop us an email at realmcroll at yahoo dot com with "Add me, please!" in the subject line. You'll get updates, contests, and fun McRoller games.


	4. Chapter 4

_See AN's in Chapter 1_

_I want to take a minute to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone for their AWESOME reviews. You guys are AMAZING and your words are appreciated more than you could ever know. As usual I can't seem to stop tweaking and tinkering with this fic, and most likely won't until the minute I hit send tomorrow on Chapter 5, LOL, but after that I promise I am going to respond to each and every one._

* * *

**Kamekona's Shrimp Trailer**

**Monday 7:30 P.M.**

Danny sat on a bench outside Kamekona's shrimp stand, his back to the table, elbows on knees, waiting patiently for Steve to emerge from the trailer. He wanted to allow his partner to spend as much time as possible with Catherine. And truth be told it was the first chance he'd had to sit down all day and he was kind of enjoying it.

Especially after Catherine's little jack in the box stunt sent his heart rate soaring.

He didn't know why he was surprised really. Neither Catherine nor Steve was the conventional type so she probably never even considered just making a phone call or shooting off a text. He should have expected she'd make contact in an unpredictable way.

Not that it actually mattered _how_ she did it. Danny was just happy to get confirmation she was alive and well. The manner of contact wasn't really important. The only thing that truly mattered was that she had a safe place to stay until they could get this whole mess straightened out.

Seeing Catherine safe and happy lifted his spirits considerably but Danny knew it was nothing compared to how spending even just a few minutes with her would improve Steve's mood and outlook. It had always been that way between them. Just a few stolen moments, in person, on the phone or even in a text was the best medicine either one could possibly get.

When things were unsettled with Catherine; things we're unsettled with Steve.

That was just a simple fact of life.

Danny kept a close eye on the parking lot and surrounding area searching for any sign of trouble. His eyes moved along a constant circular path, stopping to examine anyone who looked out of place for any reason. Anyone who didn't appear outfitted for the beach or for a casual day in the sun. He looked for telltale signs like earbuds or wires or the typical atrocious footwear of a federal agent on duty.

He was as surprised as anyone that the DEA hadn't slapped a tail on them yet. He'd been expecting it to appear ever since Riley Winstead's confrontation with Steve at the building on Waimai. She made it perfectly clear she thought the Commander was hiding something and she would to do whatever was necessary to uncover the truth.

Danny supposed the DEA agents had been far too busy rushing to get a warrant for Catherine's arrest and get themselves in front of the cameras on the courthouse steps to bother with the unglamorous details of the investigation like arranging surveillance. But they'd get around to it eventually. He was certain of that.

'Putzes.' He thought to himself.

Now that they'd made their first big media splash they were sure to get pressure from their bosses to follow it up with an actual arrest. He had no doubt they'd pull out all the stops in an effort to find Catherine and bring her in. One thing Danny knew about the feds was they love a perp walk. Especially one that involves a beautiful woman accused of a terrible crime. He was sure they'd tail all the team members, search the beach house and harass and threaten all Catherine's friends and associates.

Whoever planted the evidence on Waimai, and for whatever reason, it lit a fire under the DEA and they were going after Catherine with everything they had. Forget further investigation or the possibility of other suspects, they had someone in their sights and they were going after her like gangbusters.

Kamekona stood beside him, still in the same position he was in when they arrived, conveying an air of complete serenity. Even someone looking closely would be unable to detect the slightest hint of nervousness at the fact that he was currently concealing the most wanted fugitive on the island inside his shrimp truck.

"This is a good thing you're doing," Danny said quietly, eyes still scanning the area.

"I know Catherine. I know the things they're saying about her are lies." Kamekona had unreserved confidence in his friends.

"Still …" Danny sighed. "Whoever is setting her up," he glanced around to make sure there was no one within ear shot, "they're after Steve as well."

"I gathered that from the items Catherine asked me to copy. Do you have any idea who might be behind this devious plan?" Kamekona watched a group of tourists make their way down to the beach.

Danny couldn't help but chuckle at the big man's word choice. "We have a few suspicions but nothing concrete." He glanced at his watch.

"What do you need me to do?" Kamekona asked.

Danny was positive the big-hearted shrimp king would do anything in his power to help Steve and Catherine. As would a lot of people on the island and elsewhere. But he also knew neither of his friends would want anyone to put themselves in legal danger on their behalf.

Riley Winstead was a woman on a mission and she wouldn't hesitate for a minute to take down anyone who blocked her path. If the only way she could get to Steve and Catherine was through their friends and associates, that's what she'd do. Without a second thought.

If he was caught hiding Catherine, especially now that it was common knowledge on the island she was wanted by the feds, it could have disastrous results for Kamekona. But that was apparently a chance he willing to take.

"Keep your ears open," Danny suggested.

"For anything in particular?" Kamekona maintained his placid demeanor.

"There are a couple of DEA agents on the island, Schmidt and Winstead, we have a feeling one or both of them may be hiding something."

Kamekona nodded. "I'll let you know if I hear anything."

"Thanks. Listen … " Danny lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. "I'm not asking where you're taking Catherine … in fact it's probably better I don't know … but … it's safe right?"

"Perfectly," Kamekona nodded

"And she'll be protected?" Danny couldn't help but worry.

"Like a baby in her mother's arms," Kamekona assured him in a sing-song voice.

Danny smiled. "I recognize you're taking a big risk. I appreciate it. I know Steve will too."

As if the mention of his name summoned him Steve appeared around the corner of the shrimp truck, schooling his features in case anyone was watching, and carrying a cardboard box emblazoned on all sides with the words VIP_ Food Service 16 oz. Take Out Cups_. He crossed the lot towards where Danny and Kamekona were waiting. When he reached the table he placed one foot up on the bench beside his partner and balanced the cardboard box on his knee.

"I guess I owe you an apology," he said to Kamekona sheepishly.

"Not necessary. But next time I say there's something here that requires your attention … " he said leadingly.

"I'll be right over," Steve assured him.

Kamekona nodded his head slightly in the direction of the parking lot to indicate someone was approaching. Steve and Danny turned their heads simultaneously.

"Commander McGarrett. Detective Williams," Riley Winstead said as she walked up next to the three men.

Danny noticed right away there was something different about her but it took a few seconds to realize what it was. For the first time since he met her she was wearing makeup. Dark red lips, pink cheeks and heavily mascaraed lashes. He chuckled to himself. Apparently she wasn't as singularly focused on her job as she wanted people to believe. She certainly carved out the time to make sure she looked her best for the cameras.

"Agent Winstead," Steve replied tightly.

They stood in awkward silence as Riley shifted her weight from one foot to the other and looked back and forth between Steve and Kamekona expectantly.

When it became clear Steve had no intention of making an introduction Riley took matters into her own hands. She narrowed her eyes at Steve and Danny then pasted a smile on her face and turned to Kamekona who was regarding her with barely concealed contempt. "I'm afraid we haven't met yet. I'm Agent Riley Winstead from the DEA."

She extended her hand.

"Kamekona," he said flatly.

His hands remained at his sides.

Riley withdrew her hand slowly and pushed forward with what she'd come for. These people might be friends of McGarrett and Rollins but she had the power of the federal government behind her and she wasn't afraid to use it as a club to get what she wanted. "Well Mr. Kamekona … "

"Just … Kamekona," he interrupted her.

Steve and Danny watched the exchange with bemused grins.

"Fine then … Kamekona," she continued as she struggled to rein in her temper. "I can't help but notice that your … " she pointed to the trailer standing twenty feet away, " … your fine eating establishment is closed for business even though there are still quite a few people around who might be in the market for dinner."

"There's no doubt my food is the best on the island," Kamekona bragged. "So it's unfortunate for them they won't be able to partake of it this evening. But I'm certain they can find somewhere else to satisfy their island appetites. At least for one night."

"Perhaps," Riley crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Kamekona. "Still it doesn't seem like good business for a man like you to have your trailer completely closed up with all these hungry people around."

It was clear she was not going to drop the subject.

"I appreciate your concern," the big man seemed to be enjoying the cat and mouse game, "but there's no need to worry. My entrepreneurial endeavors are doing just fine. In fact, if you'd like a helicopter tour of the island my schedule is packed but I'll find a way to fit you in. I'll even give you a discount coupon."

"That won't be necessary. I'm not here on vacation. All I'm really interested in is why your establishment is closed when your posted hours," Riley pointed to the sign on the side of the trailer, "state you're open until 9:00 P.M."

"I received a delivery of shrimp from my supplier that was substandard today," Kamekona shrugged. "I decided it was better to close the doors than to feed bad food to my customers."

"Is that so," Riley asked skeptically. "Then you don't mind if I take a look inside your trailer?"

"Not at all," the shrimp king smiled. "I'll let you in myself."

Danny guessed by the complete lack of tension in Steve's body at the mention of Riley searching the trailer that Catherine must not be inside anymore. If she was there was no way his partner would allow the agent anywhere near it. He would tackle her in the parking lot if necessary and deal with the consequences later.

Catherine put everything on the line to assure Steve's safety and freedom and he was more than prepared to do the same for her. Even if at this point freedom meant hiding at an undisclosed location under the watchful eyes of men the size of mountains.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat," Steve said dismissively, "but Danny and I have a case to investigate so we'll be on our way."

Riley set off following Kamekona towards the rear of the shrimp trailer then paused and turned back. "I almost forgot to ask, Commander," she said, feigning forgetfulness. "What's in the box?"

"Paper cups," Steve said without hesitating as he held the box in front of him.

"I'd imagine the State of Hawaii has enough of a budget to keep the Governor's Task Force supplied with paper cups," she said doubtfully. "I can't believe you have to take care of that yourself. After all you're a very busy man from what I can see."

Steve shrugged. "Kamekona gets them for us at cost."

"Mind if I take a look?" Riley challenged him, walking back towards the table.

"Do you have a warrant?" Steve asked sardonically.

"No, but I could get one."

"I doubt that," Steve put the box on the table then stepped back, "but be my guest."

Riley opened the box slowly then glanced over her shoulder at Steve before peering inside. The box was full of … paper take out cups.

She scowled and closed the flaps irritably before rejoining Kamekona who hadn't moved from his position halfway to the shrimp truck. "I'll talk to you soon, Commander McGarrett."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Steve rolled his eyes and Danny chuckled.

As Riley made her way toward the trailer Danny turned to Steve. "Where is the … " he raised his eyebrows knowing his partner would understand exactly what he meant.

"Kamekona's friends got word Winstead was on her way," Steve answered as they headed for the parking lot. "They gave us a heads up and got Cath and the evidence out safely."

"How did they 'get word'?" Danny wondered out loud. He knew Kamekona and his friends were as plugged into what was going on on the island as anyone, but knowing the movements of a visiting federal agent before they happened seemed hard core even for them.

"I didn't ask," Steve said honestly. "I just said thank you. It makes me feel better knowing the people watching Cath's back aren't going to be easily taken by surprise."

"So where's the box of evidence now?"

"They said they'd make sure it got to the office." As they reached the Camaro Steve's phone rang and he looked down at the caller ID. "What's up, Duke?" he said as he placed the box in the backseat. "OK, we'll be right there."

"What now?" Danny asked.

"They're searching our house." Steve answered as he got behind the wheel. "It just never ends today."

* * *

**McGarrett/Rollins Residence**

**Monday 8:30 P.M.**

The Camaro pulled to stop in front of the beach house and Steve and Danny jumped out and headed for the front door, unsure of exactly what they'd find. There were five squad cars with their lights flashing sitting in front of the house as well as the tell-tale black Suburban with government plates that indicated the presence of a federal agent. At some point, Steve realized, Schmidt and Riley must have ditched their rental cars in favor of vehicles borrowed from the local office.

They wound their way through the chaos and found Duke standing on the front porch next to a self-satisfied looking Jack Schmidt.

"Commander," Schmidt said as he held up a folded piece of paper and waved it about, as if to forestall any objections, "we have a warrant if you'd like to see it."

"That won't be necessary," Steve said matter-of-factly. "I'm sure you won't find anything because as I've said many times Catherine was not involved in this in any way."

"So you say." Schmidt wore a smug expression that both Steve and Danny wanted to slap off his face. "But the evidence says something different."

There had been a dramatic change in the demeanor of Agent Schmidt since the discovery of the evidence at Waimai. It was as if he saw his chance to be part of a high-profile investigation and arrest and he was making the most of every minute of it. Riley Winstead had been working on the partygoer murders for four years with no arrests and very few real leads and now just six-weeks after being assigned to the case he had a suspect in his sights. Steve could practically hear him tooting his own horn to his bosses trying to parlay the investigation into a promotion.

"Manufactured evidence tends to do that," Steve said snidely.

"I'm … uh … going to have to ask you not to interfere with the search in any way," Schmidt said nervously as Danny took a few steps into the living room.

"I'm not interfering with anything," Danny said testily as he turned to look at the agent.

"Well, being as you know these officers, and have worked with them in the past, and I'm a stranger here on the island, that puts me at a little bit of a disadvantage," Schmidt reasoned. "I'd like to be sure they're taking their orders from me and not you. Considering your conflict of interest in this case."

Danny rolled his eyes and walked back to stand between Duke and Steve. "That's not all that puts you at a disadvantage, putz," he grumbled.

"What's that?" Schmidt asked.

"Don't worry about it," Danny exhaled heavily.

He and Steve watched the search as closely as they could from their place on the front porch, looking through the wide open front door, for about fifteen minutes. During that time several officers emerged and informed Agent Schmidt they'd found nothing out of the ordinary.

"We seem to be following each other around today, Commander," a familiar voice said from behind them.

All four men turned around to see Riley Winstead coming up the front walk, head up, shoulders back, conveying the air of a woman about to get everything she wanted. Despite the fact that nothing had been found during the search to this point she was still smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

"Actually it's just you that seems to be following me." Steve leveled his gaze at her and attempted to figure out what is what she thought she knew that was making her appear so confident.

Riley smirked at him then turned to her partner. "How's the search going?"

"Nothing so far but we're still looking." Schmidt sounded disappointed.

As Riley Winstead lifted her arm casually to check the time on her watch Steve and Danny both noticed a large, bulky file folder in her left hand. They were certain she didn't have that with her at the shrimp truck and neither man remembered having seen her with it at any point previously.

Both had the same thought at precisely the same instant.

And knew what needed to be done.

"Maybe I _will_ take a look at that warrant." Steve turned to Agent Schmidt. "Never hurts to make sure everything's in order."

"While you're doing that I need to talk to Duke for a second about the Simmons case," Danny said.

As Steve momentarily distracted the DEA agents the other two men moved a few steps away. "Listen, Duke," Danny whispered, making sure his back was to the feds. "You can't leave Winstead alone in this house, even for a second. You have to have eyes on here constantly. This would the perfect opportunity for her to plant something on Steve. And by the looks of that folder she's carrying that may be the plan."

"Do you think she's got copies of the missing evidence against Steve in there?" Duke stole a surreptitious glace at the folder in question.

"I can't be sure but it's a chance I'm not willing to take," Danny said. "If it's in there we've gotta make sure she doesn't have a chance to plant it."

"Got it," Duke said.

"Whatever it takes, Duke. You have to make sure she's never alone in this house."

"I'll take care of it," Duke nodded confidently.

"Ok, everything seems to be in order here," Steve said, looking at Danny who responded with a slight nod. "Guess we'll be headed back to the office. Someone has to find out who _really_ committed the partygoer murders."

"Don't go too far," Riley said self-importantly. "We may need to talk to you again soon."

* * *

Riley entered the study at the beach house with Sgt. Duke Lukela two steps behind her. Ever since McGarrett and Williams left the man had been on her like shadow. She'd asked him to get her a glass of water but he'd passed the errand off to another officer standing nearby. She'd asked for a copy of the property records on the beach house but again Duke tasked a junior officer with tracking down that information.

All she needed was a few minutes alone and she could drop one piece of evidence that pointed to McGarrett. Just the bank records from the offshore bank account. That would be enough to implicate him along with Rollins. Once they arrested him and put him behind bars she could take her time planting then uncovering the rest of the evidence to make sure there were no slip ups.

She wouldn't be the one to find the bank records of course. Considering the fact that her relationship with McGarrett and Five-O had become contentious since the discovery of the material at the Waimai address she wanted to make sure that any new evidence uncovered was totally above suspicion. She'd make sure one of the local officers was the one to actually discover the incriminating documents.

"I've done hundreds of searches in my career," Riley looked at Duke disdainfully. "I don't need a chaperone."

"I certainly didn't mean to imply that you did," Duke said, holding his hands up submissively in front of him. "I'm just following regulations."

He'd felt the agent's frustration level rising for the last fifteen minutes as he fended off every attempt she made to get him to leave her alone even for a short time. He knew she was eventually going to just come right out and ask him to give her some space. Luckily he'd had time to decide how he was going to handle the situation.

"Regulations?" Riley stopped and leveled a glare at him.

"Yes," Duke answered. "Whenever the HPD is executing a search on behalf of an officer or agency from another jurisdiction those agents need to be in the company of an HPD officer at all times to ensure the search is carried out according to HPD rules. I mean that's not it word for word … but you get the jist."

Riley looked at him angrily. "Are you insinuating I would do something against the rules during the search? Are you telling me that the State of Hawaii has no trust in a federal agency like the DEA?"

"Not at all." Duke pretended to scoff at the idea. "I'm just telling you that if you do recover any evidence in this search you'll need a document signed by me attesting I was present when it was collected."

Riley looked at him disbelievingly.

"I provided one for the evidence gathered at the Waimai location," Duke reminded her.

The fact of the matter was that Duke was overstating the necessity of his presence just slightly. It was true that any evidence submitted would need to be signed off on by an HPD officer, but it wasn't actually necessary they were present when it was collected in order to sign. In most cases HPD officers trusted trained law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions, or from the federal level, to follow normal evidence collection procedure and just affixed their signatures after the search was completed.

But this wasn't most cases.

He just hoped Agent Winstead didn't do a little research on local statutes and call him on the exaggeration.

But he'd cross that bridge when and if they came to it.

"Well … " Riley took a deep breath and blew it out. She couldn't chance getting caught planting evidence and it didn't appear Sgt. Lukela was going to give her any space on this search. She'd have to find another way. "I guess I'll head out then and let your men do their work."

"I'm sorry if I insulted you in any way," Duke said, still he stayed on her heels until she made it back to the front porch.

"Not a problem," she waved her hand contemptuously. "I have a lot of other things I need to be doing."

She needed time alone to figure out how to turn around what was becoming an unexpectedly difficult operation. She hadn't anticipated she would have to deal with McGarrett on the loose and running his own inquiry. She'd fully expected him to be out of the way behind bars already. He and Rollins both. Which would have given her all the space she needed to plug any holes and ensure the success of her plan.

She felt as though she was spread too thin considering she had to keep a close eye on what McGarrett and his team were doing at the same time she attempted to track down Catherine Rollins and also steer the DEA investigation in exactly the direction she wanted it to go. She was bound to slip up and make a mistake if she didn't get at least one of those things, preferably two, off her plate and behind bars very soon. If she could get Rollins and McGarrett both in custody she'd be fine. All she needed was a place to plant the bank records where they were sure to be discovered quickly.

As Duke watched her he could almost see the wheels turning in her head. He worried she might come back later after everyone was gone and take another shot at leaving material that would incriminate Steve.

"I'll station a team of officers here around the clock after the search is over to secure the scene in case you want to come back another time," he told her.

"Fine," Riley Winstead huffed. "I have a few things to check out downtown."

"Let me know if you need anything," Duke couldn't resist needling her.

"I'll meet you back at the hotel later," she addressed her partner before turning and stomping up the walk towards her car.

* * *

**Five-O Headquarters**

**Monday 9:30 P.M.**

Steve and Danny arrived back at Five-O headquarters exhausted and hungry but at the same time happy, renewed and eager to share their news with their teammates. Steve dropped the cardboard box he carried in from Danny's car in the middle of the bullpen and the two men went in search of Chin and Kono.

They found the cousins in Chin's office reconnecting all the equipment they'd retrieved from the now abandoned command center at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Chin was on his knees under his desk reconnecting wires and Kono was straining to replace the extra routers and other peripherals on the upper shelf of Chin's office where they were normally kept.

"Did you have any problems getting everything out?" Steve asked as he and Danny entered the office. He hoped that since the feds hadn't thought to search the room he and Catherine had been sharing maybe they would have also left Chin's equipment untouched.

"Piece of cake," Chin said from his knees, peering over the top of his desk.

"Well … we have some good news. Great news actually." Steve could barely contain his excitement.

"Good, we could use it," Chin said as he got to his feet and looked at Steve hopefully.

"We saw Catherine," Steve said with a bright smile.

"What? Where?" Kono asked. She abandoned her attempts to get all Chin's equipment back in its proper place and moved quickly to stand directly in front of Steve.

"She's fine. She's not hurt. We saw her at Kamekona's. She's gonna be staying with some friends of his for a few days. I … we …don't know exactly where … but she'll be safe with them." Steve blurted out the information and saw a look of relief spread across Kono's face.

"But she's ok?" Kono needed to double check. She had all the faith in the world in Catherine's ability to take care of herself but still, if anything happened to her after she took off alone, Kono would have never forgiven herself.

"She's absolutely fine." Steve assured her. "She sends her love and said to tell you both she'd see you very soon."

"She almost gave _me_ a heart attack but she's fine," Danny grumbled, but his smile made it clear he wasn't the least bit upset.

"Thank God," Chin said. He did his best to keep his emotions under wraps most of the time but he was extremely alarmed at the thought of Catherine on the run alone. Knowing she was safe, and being protected by people they trusted, meant he could put the worry aside and concentrate solely on clearing her name.

"She had all the stuff she took from the Waimai office," Steve said. "Winstead showed up so I couldn't bring it with me. One of the guys said he'd make sure it got over here."

Chin picked up a box identical to the one Steve left in the bullpen and placed it on his desk. "That must be what this is," he laughed. "Flippa delivered it a few minutes ago. Said I was to put it in your hands personally. Wouldn't turn it over to me until I promised him I would. Twice."

Steve pulled back the flaps of the box and saw that everything was intact, just as he'd seen it earlier. He lifted out a handful of pages and flipped through them quickly. "We need to start going through this. Hopefully we can trace it back and find out who manufactured it. Then we'll have a better handle on who's trying to frame me and Catherine, and why."

"Now that we have this stuff," Kono held her hand and Steve passed her the stack of papers, "we're gonna figure this out soon. I know it."

Before they could come up with a strategy for the best way to proceed the phone on Chin's desk buzzed.

"Kelly," he said as he answered it then listened for a few seconds and hung up. "Winstead is on her way up."

Steve grabbed the box off Chin's desk, took the pages back from Kono, and darted out to the bullpen. He opened the box of paper cups he carried in earlier, pulled out as many as he could and tossed them in on top of the evidence. Then he took the nearly empty box of cups and sat it on the counter next to the coffee machine. He walked back across the room and placed the box of evidence on the smart table just in time to look up and see Riley Winstead headed down the hall towards the office. The rest of the team joined him in the bullpen just as she opened the glass doors and entered.

"Seriously, we have to stop meeting like this," Steve said, making no attempt to hide his disgust.

"Actually, Commander, I'm not here to see you this time," Riley said as she tapped her right index finger against a manila folder she was holding in her left hand.

"Is that so?" Steve asked.

"I'm here to see Officer Kalakaua." Riley turned to face Kono.

"Me?" Kono asked. "What do you want with me?"

"I just got the fingerprint reports from the Waimai scene. I wanted to go over a few things with you."

Steve noticed Riley's cat that ate the canary grin was back. If she had the fingerprint report then she knew Catherine had been at the scene. The fact she wasn't screaming that from the rooftops, trumpeting it as proof she was right about Catherine's guilt, told him she must think she could use the information to better advantage somehow.

It also told him something else very important.

It told him Riley knew Catherine's fingerprints _shouldn't_ be in that office.

The only way she could possibly know that was if she was the one that planted the evidence to begin with. Steve couldn't imagine how she planned to account for the fact that none of the evidence had fingerprints on it. He wondered how she expected anyone to believe they were careful enough to wear gloves for four years. Regardless, now that Catherine's prints were on the material, and his weren't, it created a problem for her.

She had undoubtedly figured out that Catherine was in the building prior to the Crime Stoppers call. It was the only explanation for her prints on some of the evidence. But now it was likely she knew Kono had been there as well.

An experienced officer like Kono would never enter a crime scene and touch multiple pieces of evidence with no gloves, especially when everyone around her had gloves on. Riley had likely connected the dots and knew Kono was in the building at the same time Catherine was. If she could get Kono to admit to being there she could peg her as an accomplice and use her as leverage against Catherine.

Kono turned her head slightly and gave Steve a reassuring look.

She knew exactly what Riley was up to.

And it wasn't gonna work.

"Yeah," Kono shook her head in mock embarrassment. "I apologize again about that."

"According to these reports your fingerprints were found on the file cabinets, the door, and one corner of the desk. That seems like a lot of places for you to have touched in the few minutes you were without your gloves." Riley crossed her arms and waited for an answer.

"I fidget when I get nervous." Kono shrugged.

"What did you have to be nervous about?" Riley asked reproachfully.

"You were accusing my friend and colleague of something I know she didn't do." Kono glared at the woman standing in front of her. "I don't like that."

"And so it made you nervous?" If she couldn't break McGarrett Riley was determined to break one of his team.

"Well," Kono tilted her head as if in thought, "fidgety at least."

The men in the room watched interestedly as the two women faced off. None of them had any doubt Kono could more than hold her own. They watched Riley Winstead run through the beginner's handbook of intimidation techniques; eye contact, proximity, and body language.

She opened the folder, studying the report with feigned casualness. "Do you remember touching anything else without your gloves?"

'Here it is,' Kono thought.

Riley was hoping to catch her in a denial. Get her to swear she hadn't touched a surface where her fingerprints were later found.

"Let me think," Kono said as she mentally reviewed her movements from when she was at the building with Catherine. "I might have touched more than just the corner of the desk. Maybe a few of the papers lying on top."

"Is that all?" Riley pressed. "Did you touch anything else in the room?"

All she needed was for Kono to say no and she could spring the trap.

"Oh … wait …. I also touched the briefcase full of money. It was sitting in the corner and I wasn't sure what it was so I picked it up and opened it. I can't remember if I touched any of the money inside but I probably did."

Agent Winstead seethed. "I was standing in that office at the time and I don't remember seeing you touch the money. In fact I'm _sure_ it was on the other side of the room by the time you got there."

"No, I'm sure it was beside the file cabinet," Kono nodded her head. "It's not every day you see a briefcase full of money so I definitely remember. I touched it."

"You must have been too busy falsely accusing Catherine at the time to notice," Steve chimed in.

"I'm not talking to you, Commander McGarrett," Riley said defiantly.

"You're standing in the middle of _my_ office interrogating one of _my_ officers. I'll participate in any conversation I choose," Steve shot back.

"I'm conducting an investigation," Riley's voice was rising.

"So am I," Steve matched her tone. "Officer Kalakaua told you she touched the briefcase and she apologized for doing so without gloves. So unless you've got something else … "

"I'd like to search Ms. Rollins' office."

Riley put one hand on her hip and looked at Steve expectantly.

"That's not going to happen." Steve was adamant.

"Why not? Does she have something to hide?"

Riley challenged Steve, hoping he might let her get a look in Catherine's office just to make a point.

"There's a lot of sensitive information about ongoing cases in her files."

"I don't care about anything that pertains to any other cases," the DEA agent scoffed.

"So you say."

Steve looked her directly in the eye.

"I can get a warrant," Riled said as if it was a given.

She was testing him and he wasn't about to take the bait.

"Come back when you have one," he said. "And if there's nothing else, we're working here so I'd like you to go."

"This isn't over," Riley addressed the entire team.

"We never thought it was," Danny answered.

Riley turned on her heel and headed towards the door then, as if an afterthought crossed to the coffee station and peered into the cardboard box sitting on the shelf beside the coffeemaker.

Nearly empty.

"I told you we were almost out," Steve asked evenly. "Did you want a cup to go?"

"Very funny. I'll be back with that warrant," she sneered as she stalked out of the office.

As soon as she was out of sight Danny turned to Steve.

"Rookie mistake," he chuckled.

"Sure was," Steve smiled. "You always check the contents of matching boxes."

He grabbed the cardboard box that had been sitting beside him during Riley's entire visit, dumped the cups on the smart table and pulled out the evidence Catherine had taken from Waimai.

"She didn't mention anything about Catherine's prints being in the room," Danny pointed out.

"I noticed that too," Chin nodded.

They'd all reached the same conclusion at pretty much the same time.

Riley Winstead was behind the planted evidence.

There were sure of it.

"It's gonna take her a day or two at least to find a judge that'll give her permission to search Catherine's office but just in case, Chin, is there a way we can get this all digitized and encrypted so we can hide the originals."

"I'll get right on it," Chin said.

"Wait," Steve paused right before he handed over the material. "It's late and it's been a long couple of days for all of us. If you want to go home and get some sleep and get to this fresh in the morning I'll understand."

"Sleep is over-rated," Chin said without hesitation as he took the pile of evidence.

"Definitely. I'll stay and help too," Kono added.

"Me too." Danny loosened his tie.

"What about Grace?" Steve asked.

"Grace and Linda are at sleep away cheerleading camp this week."

"Oh, I forgot completely about that. I'm sorry," Steve apologized. "Is Cammie in the way?"

"Between Scout's dog sitter and Grandma Josie stopping by to check on her five times a day Cammie is fine," Danny laughed.

"Are you sure?" Steve asked.

"Positive. Well … to be honest … she seems alright about not seeing you but she definitely misses Catherine," Danny teased.

"That makes two of us." Steve said with absolute seriousness.

Danny nodded his head. Nothing was going to feel right for Steve until Catherine was back home. He knew she was safe with Kamekona's friends and he was grateful. Still his world would feel off-balance until she was back by his side where she belongs.

"So let's get this case solved and bring her home." Danny patted Steve on the back then headed off to Chin's office to help get the evidence organized.

Two hours later Duke sent over copies of everything taken from the Waimai address implicating Catherine. It arrived in an official HPD evidence box and not one designed to carry take out cups. The team knew they were over-tired when they laughed about that fact for a good five minutes.

It took them most of the night to sort, scan and organize the evidence. Their only break came around 3:30 A.M. when they all found the nearest soft surface and grabbed ninety minutes of sleep. For Steve it was more like ninety minutes of tossing and turning. They awoke slightly refreshed and, after making sure they had everything safely stored on drives, they placed the hard copies of the evidence in the floor safe in Chin's office.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Steve asked as they placed the records in the small vault.

"I'm sure. They may get a warrant to search Catherine's office, and maybe even yours because of your relationship, but they'll never get permission to search mine."

"Thanks, Chin. We appreciate this."

"No problem."

"Now let's start digging through this stuff and see what we can find." Despite his lack of any real sleep Steve was energized. They were finally getting somewhere with the investigation. With a little luck Catherine would be home very soon.

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Room 2234**

**Tuesday 7:00 A.M.**

Riley Winstead sat on the edge of the unmade hotel room bed, with its fluffy pillows, its high thread count sheets and its crisp white bedspread. She toed the beige carpet and thought to herself how hard the decorators worked to achieve a relaxing spa like atmosphere.

Not that the decor mattered all that much.

She made her way slowly across the room and slid open the curtains covering the sliding glass doors to the balcony.

'This,' she thought as she took in the view of the ocean, 'this is what people come to Hawaii for."

Too bad she wasn't in any mood to enjoy the sun and sand.

She was up half the night trying to figure out the best way to plant enough evidence pointing to Steve McGarrett that she would be able to go back to the court house and get a warrant for his arrest as well.

That man was a thorn in her side and she was tired of dealing with him.

At least now she knew for sure who removed the material incriminating McGarrett from the Waimai scene. It was clear the second she saw the fingerprint report. Catherine Rollins' prints were all over that room, the evidence, the computer. Her bosses were thrilled when they saw it. They thought it was the smoking gun that proved Catherine was guilty.

But Riley knew it created as many problems as it solved.

Rollins was out there somewhere and she was in possession of all the stolen evidence. But Riley needed to plant another set of copies so she could turn the heat up on McGarrett. Once Catherine was arrested, if she had the evidence on her, or could lead police to it, it would raise questions as to why there were multiple copies.

What would have been the reason for creating duplicates of half the evidence?

Riley had no intention of letting Catherine Rollins, or anyone on her behalf, raise that question. She either had to find Rollins and the evidence first and destroy both of them or make it appear that Rollins knew they were about to get caught and threw herself on her sword to save McGarrett.

She knew a good defense attorney could make the case that if Rollins was really trying to protect McGarrett she would have destroyed the evidence against him and given herself up. And Riley was afraid that moves like that would destroy her hopes for a quick trial and an easy conviction.

That was the last thing she wanted.

She'd much rather locate Rollins and let Dmitri take care of both her and the evidence. She'd been putting off telling him about the snafu. She convinced herself it was because he was already on edge about so many close calls but in her heart of hearts she knew she was simply afraid to let him see she'd bungled this so badly. Put them both in jeopardy of being caught. She was supposed to be the brains of the operation and he trusted her to make sure things like this didn't happen.

But now she realized she had no choice but to tell him. Solving this particular problem might very well require Dmitri's special skillset. He never minded getting his hands wet … or bloody as the case may be.

There were already thirteen bodies attached to this crime.

What was one more?

She just needed to find Rollins.

She'd wait till she saw Dmitri in person to broach the subject. This wasn't the kind of thing you could discuss properly over the phone.

And on top of all the other things going on she was having trouble getting a line through to the bank in Russia where she transferred all their money. She wanted to make sure any digital footprints of the transfer had been erased.

She figured that at some point the feds would try to track the money that had been moved out of the offshore accounts that were now in the name of Rollins and McGarrett and she needed to make sure nothing lead back to her or Dmitri.

But between dealing with time zones and the general unreliability of phone service in the remote part of Russia she was calling she hadn't been able to make a connection all day. The first time she called she asked for the bank manager, explained who she was in fractured Russian, and inquired as to whether the money had arrived and all traces of it had been erased. She was put on hold but about a minute later the line went dead. When she called back she couldn't get through.

She needed to talk to someone on the other end very soon. Dmitri would be leaving the island in forty-eight hours and she wanted everything in place before he left. They would keep enough ready cash for her to live on for a month or so and for him to travel home but aside from that every penny of the proceeds of their crime spree had been transferred to the bank in Russia.

She looked out at the beach that was beginning to fill up with tourists.

Maybe once this whole mess was behind them they could spend a month sunning themselves on the French Rivera.

With that thought in mind she smiled as she dialed a now familiar number.

"Good morning, Golobushka," Dmitri answered on the first ring.

"Hi baby. How are you this morning?"

The sound of his voice never failed to make her smile.

"Missing you. But other than that very well."

"I miss you too, baby," she said as she leaned against the glass and looked out at the water.

"How is the plan proceeding?"

"Right on track," Riley lied.

She justified it in her mind by saying that he would take the news better if he heard it from her in person.

"That's good to hear." His voice sounded light, unencumbered by the worries that had been plaguing him for months now.

"Just think, baby, in a couple of days you'll be back in New York City on your way home to Russia."

Riley couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice.

"Just like we always dreamed." he said and she could practically hear him smile through the phone.

"And in a month or so I'll follow."

"You are going to love Russia so much, my angel," he assured her. "The people there will embrace you and make you one of their own and we will live in ecstasy for the rest of our lives."

Riley loved when Dmitri let the poetic side of himself come out. It was one of the things that initially attracted her to him. On the outside he appeared cold and ruthless but she knew he had the soul of a poet. He was a man who would never let her down.

"I like the sound of that," she said.

"As do I," Dmitri sighed. "I can't wait to introduce you to my friends and family."

Riley couldn't wait either. She'd been looking forward to it for a long time. At first it hadn't even seemed real, just some fantasy that might happen someday, but now that it was so close she felt more than ready to embrace a new life in the Russian countryside.

But there were a few things that needed dealt with before that could happen.

First and foremost she needed to find Catherine Rollins.

"What are your plans for the day?" Dmitri asked, pulling her put of her reverie. "Will I be able to see you?"

"I have a pretty full day but I know Schmidt has to give a video deposition that will take most of the late afternoon so I should be able to sneak away for some dinner."

"That sounds perfect. I have a meeting with Rodriquez to finalize travel plans so I'll be gone until around seven. After that perhaps we can get some takeout food and spend some alone time.

"I'd like that," Riley sighed.

"Me as well, golobushka. I'll see you later."

"I love you." Riley said.

"I love you too." he replied.

Talking to Dmitri reminded Riley of the stakes, of what she was fighting for, and she headed out for the day more determined than ever to get this whole thing over with.

* * *

**Five-O Headquarters**

**Tuesday 10:45 A.M.**

The Five-O team spent most of the morning and early afternoon putting together a detailed list of all the evidence that had been taken from the Waimai address, both by the police and by Catherine. Kono was working on collecting all of the falsified evidence that related to any travel Steve and/or Catherine were alleged to have made overseas and checking the dates against their passports and Catherine's service record to see if there were any inconsistencies.

She'd already flagged three examples of conflicting information including supposed notes from one of the planning meetings that had been made when both Steve and Catherine were off the island. Catherine was on the mainland visiting family on the date in question and Steve was in LA testifying in a child sex trafficking case in federal court.

Steve was combing over the times and dates of all twelve partygoer incidents attempting to create a detailed account of both his and Catherine's whereabouts at the time of each using case records and personal calendars. He'd already highlighted the Seattle incident as potential proof of their innocence. That event occurred during the time he and Catherine were in South Korea on a mission to recover Freddie's body. If they were supposedly in charge it wouldn't have made sense to go ahead with a deal while they were out of the country.

Chin was working on chasing down the mysterious offshore accounts and finding out when they were opened, and by whom. He was also attempting to find out where the money that was withdrawn a few days ago had been moved to. International money movement, especially through less than reputable channels, was a tangled mess on the best day but Chin felt like he was making real progress.

Danny was working the phones with his contacts back east trying to get as much information as he could on Dmitri Makarovich as well as Riley Winstead. He spent most of the morning talking to local officers and detectives who worked the first partygoer case, asking them for their recollections of both the crime itself and the DEA agents who worked it. No one remembered anything that stood out off the top of their heads, aside from the hideousness of the crime, but several people promised to consult their own investigation notes and get back to him ASAP.

Sometime right after 1:00 P.M. Duke called and said that Tomas Ruiz, the young man arrested with Frank Simmons, was asking to talk to someone from Five-O.

He wouldn't say why.

Just that he had news they would want to hear

"What do you think?" Danny asked Steve as they discussed the call.

"I think if there's any chance at all he can tell us something that will lead us to Makarovich we have to hear him out," Steve said.

"I think so too," Danny agreed. "Let's do it."

* * *

**HPD**

**Tuesday 2:30 P.M.**

Steve and Danny called Duke back and asked him to arrange the interview then headed over the jail to talk to Tomas Ruiz. Both men were convinced that even though they hadn't managed to uncover any specific evidence to prove it yet, Frank Simmons' death was somehow related to the plot to frame Steve and Catherine.

They arrived at the jail and Duke informed them everything was set and the prisoner had already been placed in the interrogation room. Steve and Danny made their way there and found a very relaxed looking Tomas Ruiz sitting at the table, back straight, eyes forward, wrists and ankles shackled, calmly awaiting their arrival.

Danny took a seat across from the twenty-something man while Steve remained standing, leaning against the wall just inside the door.

"We're very busy, Mr. Ruiz," Danny said. "We don't have time to play games. So let's get right to the point."

"Fine," Ruiz said. "I hear you're looking for information about a certain building on Waimai and some information that may have been found there."

"Do you know something about it?" Danny asked, trying not to appear too eager.

"Frank Simmons, you know … the guy I was arrested with?"

Danny nodded.

"He owned the building. Along with a bunch of others on that end of town."

"Where'd a guy like that get the money to buy a bunch of buildings?" Steve asked.

"Well, first off they weren't so much buildings as shacks," Ruiz said. "But the way I hear it he was involved in some kind of deal that went sideways and the guy he was working for couldn't pay him in cash but he gave him those buildings as payment."

Danny used his hand to indicate Ruiz should go on.

"Simmons thought he was Donald Trump. But he was barely making enough renting those rat-traps out to keep himself fed," Ruiz said.

"I didn't know him well but he didn't seem like the landlord type," Danny said skeptically.

"Most of the rentals were short term. Deals that happened quickly if you get my drift," Ruiz shrugged.

"Drug deals?" Steve asked.

Ruiz nodded. "I never took part in any myself … "

"Of course you didn't." Danny rolled his eyes.

"But everyone on the island knows that if you need a place to get a deal done you call Frank. Or at least you used to." Ruiz didn't seem very broken up about the older man's death.

"As my partner told you we're busy men," Steve said. "What does any of this have to do with us?"

"Frank came to me the day before we got arrested and told me he'd struck gold. Some woman, he didn't know her name and neither do I, was willing to pay him cash money to rent the place on Waimai and lie about who was paying the rent."

"He told you that?" Danny wanted to be clear.

Yeah, but I thought he was making it up." Ruiz shifted in his seat. "He wanted me to provide him with some … well let's just say recreational product … and he didn't have money but swore he'd have it the next day when the lady paid him."

"And?" Danny was growing impatient.

"And when he came over to my house the next day he had a big wad of cash in his pocket so I guess he was telling the truth."

"And he didn't tell you anything else about the woman?" Steve said.

"He didn't. No." Ruiz remained perfectly calm.

"But someone else did?" Danny prodded him to continue.

"There's been some scuttlebutt around here since he got offed in the shower."

"Saying?" Steve asked.

"Saying the woman who paid him is offering big bucks to anyone who can get their hands on that wad of cash."

"She's having cash flow issues?" Steve snarked.

"No, apparently she's worried the serial numbers can be traced."

Steve and Danny's ears perked up immediately and they exchanged a look.

It was plausible.

"Traced to what?" Danny asked.

"I don't know but something big." Ruiz placed his shackled hands on the table palms up.

"I'll tell you what," Steve said. "We'll check it out. If the information is good we'll come back and talk to you about a deal."

"If it pans out I want a walk out the front door a free man," Ruiz insisted.

"We'll get back to you." Steve made no promises.

He tilted his head toward the door indicating to Danny it was time to go.

"What do you think," Danny asked as they exited the room and started down the hallway. "Do you think that money can lead us back to Riley Winstead?"

"It certainly can't hurt to have Duke check it out," Steve said. "Because if it does we've got her."

* * *

**Hilton Hawaiian Village**

**Room 2234**

**Tuesday 4:45 P.M.**

Riley pushed her way into her room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and tossed her purse and laptop on the now immaculately made bed. Her day had been interminable, chasing down one false lead after another on the location of Catherine Rollins.

She was beginning to think more than a few locals were giving the DEA false information in order to help Rollins remain hidden. If she found out that was the case she would prosecute each of them to the fullest extent of the law.

'Bad shrimp my ass,' she thought to herself.

She had a feeling that Mr. Kamekona … or just Kamekona … was in this up to his ears and she was not going to stop till she proved it.

Her sour mood wasn't being helped at all by the fact she was still having issues getting through to the bank in Russia. When she called Dmitri to tell him about it he assured her he was having similar issues trying to reach his family and there must be a disruption on the lines somewhere. He told her to keep trying and explained these kinds of breakdowns often resolve themselves as quickly as they began in that part of the world.

It was certainly a reminder to her that she was relocating to a country very different from the one she grew up in and lived in all her life. She chose to look at it as an adventure. Besides, Dmitri would be with her and they would be together and for that she was willing to put up with a little spotty cell service.

Agent Schmidt was sitting for a video deposition regarding a previous case and was warned ahead of time it was likely to be a lengthy process and would probably last until dinner time at least. Rather than meet afterwards and continue to work on the Rollins case the two of them decided to knock off for the day, get some rest, clear their minds, and come back at it sharp in the morning.

She picked up the phone and dialed Dmitri's number but there was no answer. She remembered him saying he was meeting with Rodriquez to finalize plans to get back to LA. He must have turned his phone off during the meeting.

Rodriquez hated interruptions.

She checked the time on her phone and smiled. He said he'd be back to the safe house around seven. That meant she had just enough time to stop at the grocery store, pick up a few things, and surprise him with a home cooked meal instead of another night of takeout. After all, the bad news she had to share with him about the missing evidence would go down a lot better with a nice meal.

She grabbed her purse and headed out the door with a smile.

* * *

**Five-O Headquarters**

**Tuesday 4:30 P.M.**

Steve rubbed his eyes against a combination of exhaustion and eye strain. He was sitting at his desk, trying to focus on the information in front of him but the letters and numbers were swimming and he couldn't make them stop. As much as he hated the idea of taking a break he knew he was no good to Catherine this way.

He wanted to go over to Kamekona's, ostensibly for dinner, and make sure everything was going ok and Catherine was safe. He couldn't deny he was hoping she would find a way to visit again but he knew that was selfish. If she was safe and protected where she was then he wanted her to stay there.

It just meant he had to work harder to solve the case so he could get her home sooner.

But in the meantime the next best thing would be to go to the place where he saw her last.

"Can you guys come out here please?" he called as he entered the bullpen.

"What's up?" Kono said as she and Chin made their way down the hallway.

"Did you find something?" Danny asked hopefully as he joined them.

"Unfortunately, no. Listen. We're all exhausted. And when we're this wiped out we're not doing Catherine, or ourselves, any good. I was thinking maybe we should all head home, grab something to eat, maybe get a shower. Meet back here at say eight? Then we can reassess where we are."

"Sounds good to me," Chin said, scratching his face which was desperately in need of a shave.

"Same here," Kono said. "You're going too right?" she asked Steve. "You need a break as much as any of us."

"I am. I promise," Steve smiled.

Chin and Kono headed back to their offices to gather their things and head home.

"Hey, why don't you come over to my place after you get a shower? I'll throw some steaks on the grill," Danny said to his partner.

"That's ok, I don't feel much like … "

"Steve … "

"I was planning on heading over to Kamekona's to talk to him and make sure Catherine is ok," Steve admitted.

"You know that's a bad idea," Danny said. "After the other night Kamekona is definitely on Winstead's radar. You don't want to add any fuel to that fire."

Steve looked at his partner. He knew Danny was absolutely right.

"Come for dinner, Steven. If not for yourself to visit your dog."

Steve couldn't help but smile at the thought of Cammie.

"Ok, you win, I'm gonna call Duke and see if he has anything on the serial numbers on that money then run home and grab a shower and I'll be over."

"I'm serious Steve. Don't blow me off." Danny ordered. "And don't go near Kamekona's."

"I won't." Steve said. "I promise."

* * *

**Williams' Residence**

**Tuesday 5:00 P.M.**

As Danny came through the front door he was met by the unmistakable heavenly smell of gravy on the stove. Even through his exhaustion he had to smile. It reminded him of arriving at Nonna's house when he was a kid and smelling the amazing aromas coming from her kitchen.

Grandma Josie had expressed her concern several times over the last few days that he wasn't taking proper care of himself. She reminded him repeatedly that in order to help find, in her words, 'the reprehensible scoundrels that were trying to harm Catherine', he needed to eat right and get as much sleep as he could.

He figured she must have decided to make him dinner as a treat.

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a few grapes out of the fruit bowl and popped them in his mouth. It was then he noticed Cammie staring intently down the hall off the kitchen and figured that's where he would find the phantom gravy maker.

"This smells delicious," he called as he moved in that direction, "But you didn't need to go to all this trouble, Josie."

"It wasn't Grandma Josie it was me."

Cammie woofed excitedly as her mommy stepped out of the doorway leading to Grace's room.

"Catherine," was all Danny could manage to get out before his hand flew to his chest and he choked on his grapes.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Catherine said as she guided him to a stool in the kitchen and helped his put his arms in the air. She wasn't sure if that really did any good but it was something her mother always did when she choked as a child so it was sort of an ingrained habit. "Are you ok? Arms up. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I just … choked a little." Danny took a deep gasping breath and Catherine rushed to the sink and brought him a glass of water which he accepted gratefully and sipped slowly.

"Better now?"

"Yes." Danny took another deep breath. "Much better. I just can't drink the water too fast because you know how after you choke sometimes when you try to drink something you gag?"

"No." Catherine looked at him in total seriousness.

"What?"

"No, I mean I know what you mean about choking but … I don't gag," Catherine said. "Never have. I have no gag reflex."

"Are you serious?" Danny asked incredulously.

"Scouts honor." Catherine held up her right hand.

Danny shook his head and smiled as his breathing returned to normal.

"He really is the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet."

Catherine laughed and stirred the gravy. "Speaking of … "

"I'm gonna get a complex, Catherine." Danny said, pretending to be hurt. "I'm the one who keeps getting the crap scared out of me but Steve's the one you always want to see."

"Sorry." Catherine smiled.

"No, you're not." Danny said and Catherine shrugged.

"Can you call him? I knew I didn't dare chance going to the house or the office."

"No need to," Danny said triumphantly. "He's on his way. He'll be here soon."

"Excellent," Catherine said, "because I have some really big news."

* * *

**Williams' Residence**

**Tuesday 6:00 P.M.**

Steve pulled his truck to a stop in front of Danny's house and automatically looked around for a surveillance team. As far as he could tell the DEA didn't have the manpower to run their own surveillance and HPD could only spare enough manpower for occasional drive-bys. After looking up and down the street and seeing no one Steve headed towards the house.

He knocked lightly and then just walked in.

"We're in the kitchen," Danny called.

I thought you said Cammie missed me," Steve said as he walked through the living room towards the sound of Danny's voice. "How come she isn't coming to greet me?"

"She got a better offer," Danny beamed as Steve made his way into the kitchen and saw Catherine.

"Surprise," she laughed as he crossed the room in three strides and she jumped into his arms.

"How did you get here?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into the air.

"Kamekona's friend helped me. He's a plumber so he pulled the van up right to the porch, we used my key, and I snuck in hidden in a water heater box." Steve opened his mouth to chastise her for taking such a chance but she cut him off. "I was very careful. No one saw me. Then I had some time to kill so I started cooking and spent some quality time with Cammie."

"Not that I'm not glad to see you," Steve said as he dropped kisses across her face and ignored Danny's strangled moans. "but you shouldn't have taken a chance like this."

"I had to." Catherine said excitedly. "I have big news. I mean really big news."

"What is it?" Danny and Steve asked in unison.

"The man we met with? Not Dmitri Makarovich."

"What?" Steve furrowed his brow.

"The real Dmitri Makarovich died in Russia in 2008. I confirmed it with an old Navy buddy who works at the consulate in Kiev. Then I checked with an old FBI contact and found out that Makarovich applied for a work visa to come to the US. He had a job waiting for him with an uncle who owned a restaurant in New York City. But he was killed in a car accident before he got a chance. All his travel documents were in place and they were used to enter the US in 2009, just a few days before they were due to expire. The man known as Dmitri Makarovich went off the grid and the INS was too overworked to go looking for him."

"So who's the guy we met with?" Steve asked.

"I have no idea. But the story gets better." Catherine's eyes twinkled the way they did every time she knew they were getting close to cracking a big case and Steve couldn't help but beam at her.

Then kiss her.

"Ok enough," Danny smiled. "You said the story gets better?"

"The man posing as Dmitri Makarovich was apparently a small time dealer in NYC in 2009. He wasn't a big player but he wanted to be. So he was on law enforcement's radar but hadn't made a big splash yet. According to my friend at the FBI, they picked him up making a deal and were trying to flip him and get him to sell out his bosses when they got notified that NYPD cut him loose at the request of another federal agency."

"DEA?" Steve was catching her enthusiasm.

"He wasn't sure but I'd bet," Catherine said as she kissed Steve soundly on the lips. "He's gonna check into it and get back to me. But I looked into it and Riley Winstead was working in the NYC office of the DEA at that time."

"This is all her," Danny said. "We're sure of it now."

"This is great work, Cath. Really great. This may be exactly the break we need." Steve wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her hair. He pulled back then leaned in and kissed her passionately. Cammie lay at their feet, her tail thumping against the floor, happy to have both her parents back with her.

"Umm … ok … I'm gonna go …" Danny cleared his throat.

"Don't be silly," Catherine said without taking her arms from around Steve. "Dinner's almost ready."

"Excellent," Steve waggled his eyebrows at her. "I'm starved."

* * *

**Dmitri Makarovich's Safe House**

**Honolulu**

**Tuesday 6:15 P.M.**

It took Riley longer to get to safe house than expected because she practiced extreme measures to make sure she wasn't being followed. After circling the neighborhood three times, taking three different routes, she felt confident she didn't have a tail and backed her car into the driveway of the modest two story house in a quiet suburban neighborhood.

She pulled close to the garage so the license plate wouldn't be visible then grabbed the bag of groceries and her purse. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a remote and raised the garage door. Entering that way would both give her easy access to the kitchen and reduce the chance anyone walking by would see her on the front porch and be able to identify her later.

As the door went up she noticed that not only was Dmitri's car gone but the extra car he kept at the house in case one of the men needed to use it in an emergency was gone as well. She thought how unusual it was they would have driven separately to the meeting with Rodriquez. Normally Dmitri liked to have the men tasked with protecting him in the same car as he was.

She continued into the house, figuring she'd find out what they were up to eventually, put her purse and the groceries down on the kitchen counter and walked into the living room. She called out to see if anyone was home as she made her way to Dmitri's bedroom. When she got to the doorway she stopped short.

She stood for a moment, frozen, unable to process what she was seeing.

Her eyes looked around frantically but her feet seemed rooted to the floor.

She gaped at the open closet doors, turned quickly and pulled open the dresser drawers then ran to the bathroom.

Nothing.

It was all gone.

All of his things were gone.

She ran across the hall to the rooms occupied by the other men and it was exactly the same story.

Her mind was reeling.

This couldn't be.

He'd told her to meet him at seven.

She pulled out her phone and dialed his number. She heard the familiar sound of his Russian folk music ringtone in her ear and realized the phone was lying on the bed.

And then she saw it.

A note.

She walked towards the bed with feet that felt like they were made of lead and picked up the sheet of lined paper.

_I'm sorry, Golobushka, but I can't take any more chances. One of us is going down for this and it isn't going to be me. I had fun but in the end it came down to me or you and I choose me. Have a happy life._

_Dmitri._

Riley Winstead picked a pillow up off the bed, put it up to her face and there in the middle of an empty bedroom on a quiet suburban street in the middle of Honolulu … she screamed as loud as she could.

**End Chapter 4**

* * *

Looking for links to all the REAL World McRoll stories in one place? Check out our Tumblr page mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com.


	5. Chapter 5

_What I said back when I posted the first chapter bears repeating. __My goal when I started this fic was to write a 100 page story to celebrate 100 people signing up for The REAL World mailing list. But along the way it became much more than that. It became a way to say THANK YOU for all of your kind words, your reviews, your DMs, your twitter comments and your emails. A way to hopefully let you know how very much I appreciate your support and encouragement as well as the way you have embraced The Real World with your whole hearts and your infectious enthusiasm. As things went on my goal became to write a story worthy of you—The Real Worlders. I hope I've managed to do that. I can assure I've never worked harder on a fic._

_And I could never have completed this fic without my writing partners in The REAL World, Mari and ilna, who are quite simply the awesomest awesome that ever awesomed._

_And Sandy, who never fails to brighten my day and offer a kick in the pants when it's necessary._

_Sorry for the late posting today. Blame the PA Dept. of Transportation who are inexplicably paving every freaking road in the city on a Friday when it's supposed to rain. Go figure._

* * *

**Double Cross Chapter 5**

**Williams' House**

**Tuesday 7:00 P.M.**

Steve, Danny and Catherine sat around the island in Danny's kitchen with full stomachs surveying the remains of dinner. Even though neither of the men had eaten a real meal in two days they didn't realize how hungry they were until they began to devour the food Catherine had prepared.

They each polished off their initial serving of macaroni with gravy, then seconds, and as a testament to just how hungry they were the partners didn't even engage in their usual back and forth about why Danny insisted on calling the tomato-based macaroni topper gravy while Steve was adamant it should be called sauce.

They topped off the meal with fresh baked brownies smothered in ice cream and chocolate sauce and topped with a generous helping of whipped cream.

"I didn't even know I had the stuff to make brownies in the house," Danny said around a mouthful of the delicious concoction.

"Don't tell, Nonna," Catherine mock whispered, "It's a boxed mix."

Steve gasped and Catherine elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'm just kidding. You're secret is safe with me," he said as he leaned in and nipped a bit of whipped cream off the corner of her mouth.

"Well that's even more puzzling," Danny continued. "I'm pretty sure I've never bought a brownie mix in my life."

"I bought it," Catherine told him.

"You stopped at the store on your way over?" he asked.

Catherine couldn't help but smile at her friend's puzzled expression.

"No," she chuckled. "Last time I came over to sit with Grace we stopped at the store to get the supplies for brownie sundaes and I bought a few extra mixes and put them in the back of the cupboard for emergencies."

"Brownie emergencies?" Steve teased.

"Exactly," Catherine said as she plunged her spoon into her desert. "And as soon as I saw you had vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, not to mention a can of Reddi-Whip, I decided we all deserved a brownie sundae."

"I do remember buying the chocolate sauce," Danny nodded. "Grace wanted it for the sleepover. For some reason she insisted we buy the big bottle. She said Uncle Steve and Auntie Cath always get the big bottle."

Danny didn't miss the sly look that passed between his friends.

"I'm sure I don't want to know," he said.

"Probably not," Catherine agreed with a smile.

She stood up and stretched then began to gather up the dirty dishes.

"Just put them in the sink," Danny said. "I'll take care of them later.

"Are you sure," Catherine asked.

"Positive," Danny told her.

They stacked the dishes in the sink then made their way to the living room, feeling happier and more relaxed than they had in days. As Danny surveyed the scene around him he couldn't help but grin. Steve sat on the couch, contented smile on his face, arm tightly around Catherine who was tucked into his side with her head on his shoulder. The two of them hadn't been more than an arm's length away from each other since Steve arrived.

Every few minutes Danny caught them staring at into each other's eyes wearing matching silly grins until invariably one or the other leaned in to steal a kiss.

Even though they'd only actually been apart for two days the heightened emotional circumstances and the high stakes investigation made it seem like much longer. Steve and Catherine were accustomed to working as a team in every aspect of their lives, especially now that Catherine's retirement made extended separations a thing of the past. It was one thing if one or the other was away on reserve duty, or traveling for work. Those kinds of separations, while not something either of them looked forward to, were easily dealt with.

This most recent separation was both involuntary and unexpected. And that left both his friends unsettled. Normally during tense investigations like the one they found themselves in now Steve and Catherine played off each other flawlessly, debating strategies, bouncing ideas and challenging each other to do their best work.

But that wasn't possible this time.

Not that Steve and Catherine weren't each formidable individuals in their own right, they were, but together they made a team unlike anything Danny had ever seen in is life. Their intricate mission planning, their ability to communicate non-verbally, their unwavering trust in each other and their unswerving devotion made them a force to be reckoned with.

When they set their minds to something it was as good as done.

Danny smiled at them and enjoyed the fact that for at least a few minutes they could put aside the reality of the situation they were facing and just revel in each other's company.

Cammie followed the group into the living room and lay on the floor in front of the couch keeping a close eye on her "parents"; clearly happy to have them both back with her. Danny mused how he had never seen a dog form an attachment to new humans as fast as Cammie did to Steve and Catherine. Before they ever left the crime scene the day they found her she had clearly zeroed in on her new forever parents.

While she was staying with Danny he could tell she missed Steve and Cath, and wanted to see them both again, but there was something in her demeanor that let him know that she was confident they'd be back. It was like she understood what was going on and why they had to leave. As opposed to mourning their absence she seemed to be counting the minutes till they returned.

Danny sat across from his friends, slumped down in his favorite chair, feet on the coffee table, while he pretended to be nauseated by their display but was secretly thrilled to see the both of them so happy.

They were right where they belonged.

Side by side.

Laughing together and working together.

Even separated from the rest of the team Catherine worked her magic and came up with important information that might very well help break the case. Then she found a way to reach them, apparently by being smuggled into his house in an empty hot water heater box, so she could share that information.

She really was about the most resourceful person Danny had ever met.

As he looked across at the two of them he couldn't help but notice the look of pride on his partner's face. As worried as he'd been about Catherine since this whole ordeal began, Steve never thought for an instant she would just crawl into a hole and wait for the rest of the team to solve the case.

That wasn't who she was.

She was going to be an active participant in her own rescue. And as much as Danny knew that scared Steve sometimes he also knew it was one of the things his partner admired most about Catherine.

A damsel in distress she was not.

He snapped out of his reverie when he realized Catherine was talking.

"Well it wasn't my best gravy ever," she said. "I had to improvise because Danny didn't have all the ingredients in his kitchen.

Steve turned to his partner with a look of mock scorn. "What would Nonna say, Danny?"

Danny smiled. "Maybe we can let it slide just this once. Grandma Josie was cooking for the girls … and the dogs … for the entire weekend. I'm surprised I have any food left in the house at all."

"It's ok," Catherine said. "I made do."

"And it was delicious," Steve said again as he kissed her on the top of the head.

"Seriously," Danny sighed. "You're getting nauseating. But the gravy _was_ delicious, Cath."

"Thank you," she smiled as Steve mocked his partner by planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Even if, once again, you did practically kill me," Danny teased.

"I told you I was sorry."

"It didn't seem sincere," Danny said doubtfully.

"Am I missing something," Steve asked.

"Not really. Catherine just popped out and scared me when I got home and I nearly choked to death on a grape. Seriously … you were mere seconds away from needing to find a new partner."

"He's exaggerating," Catherine assured Steve. "I just wanted to see who was coming into the house before I revealed my presence. So I hid down the hallway."

"That was very smart," Steve kissed her softly on the lips.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Sure it seemed smart till I … you know … almost choked to death on a grape. Then Catherine got me a glass of water and I was afraid I was gonna gag. Which … I understand … is not an issue for Catherine," Danny said with a meaningful look towards Steve.

"Ask her to show you how she can stand on her head and drink a beer someday," Steve said, not the least bit embarrassed by Danny's teasing.

"Are you kidding me?" Danny looked at Catherine incredulously. "How does a person stand on their head and drink a beer."

"Strong throat muscles and no gag reflex," Catherine shrugged. "I've won more money in bars off that trick than you can believe."

"I give up." Danny threw up his hands in mock surrender.

Steve chuckled as he looked at his watch.

"Do you have to be somewhere?" Catherine asked.

"We're supposed to meet Chin and Kono back at the office at eight. We're finally getting some traction on this case and now with what you found about Makarovich we might actually be able to wrap it up sooner rather than later."

"This is one of those cases," Danny said, "where once the first domino falls it starts an avalanche. We need to keep the pressure on."

"I understand," Catherine said. "I was just kinda hoping we'd have a little more time."

"Me too," Steve said then leaned in and kissed her, this time letting his lips linger.

Danny looked at his friends and suddenly wanted more than anything to extend this little visit. "Hey I have an idea. Why don't I call Chin and Kono and have them come over here instead of meeting at the office."

"Really," Catherine asked hopefully.

"Sure," Danny said. "Why not. We can get started here and then if we need to use the office computers we can head back there. I'm sure Chin and Kono would like to see you for themselves."

"I'd like to see them too," she turned to Steve. "Are you ok with this? The last thing I want to do is slow down the investigation."

"Slow it down? You speeded it up with the information about Makarovich. Besides, how could I not be okay with spending more time with you," he smiled.

"But?" Catherine could tell there was more he wanted to say.

"But nothing. I just want to make sure you're safe, Cath. That's all."

"Well I'm certainly never safer than when I'm right beside you," she smiled at him.

"Ok," Danny teased, "I'm going in the kitchen to call Chin and Kono. I'll be back in five minutes." As he left the room he called over his shoulder, "And the couch isn't Scotch Guarded."

* * *

Danny called Chin and Kono to let them know the strategy meeting had been moved from the office to his house. He didn't give them a reason over the phone, still concerned someone might be listening in, he just said it would be more comfortable and if they needed the office computers or the smart table they could head back to HQ later.

While they waited for the others to arrive Catherine told Steve and Danny the story of what happened after she initially left the Waimai property.

She made her way through the maze of ramshackle buildings, remaining on the south side in order to stay hidden from the police cars approaching on the access road to the north. Several times she took shelter in masses of overgrown shrubbery or behind abandoned doghouses until the sound of sirens faded into the distance.

After she made her way to the highway she used the cash Kono gave her to grab a cab back to the Hilton where she retrieved her things then hopped on a bus to the beach. Once there she changed into her bathing suit in order to blend in, made several rounds of the area checking for anyone who might be tailing her, and once she was certain she wasn't being followed approached Kamekona who had already heard through the island grapevine the police were looking for her, yet hustled her immediately into the shrimp truck out of the sight of prying eyes.

He served the customers that were already in line then made his apologies and closed up for the day. He called his Sumo friends who came over right away and stood guard on the trailer, with Catherine inside, while he went to Kinko's and made a copy of the material Catherine gave him. As soon as he returned he called Steve and the rest of the story they knew.

Chin and Kono arrived at promptly at eight, freshly showered and fed and looking much better than they had just a few hours earlier.

But things were about to get even better.

When they heard Chin's car pull in Catherine went to hide in the kitchen, not so much because she wanted to surprise her friends but because Steve and Danny wanted to avoid the chance she might inadvertently be seen through the open front door by someone driving past. Once the cousins were in the house and the door was safely closed Danny turned to them,

"Catherine discovered some interesting things about Dmitri Makarovich."

"You talked to her," Kono said excitedly. "Is she ok?"

"What did she find out?" Chin asked.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Danny smiled.

Unable to wait any longer Catherine stepped out of the kitchen to reveal herself. "Surprise!"

Kono squealed then bounced excitedly across the room and wrapped Catherine in a tight hug. "Good to see you, Sista."

"Good to see you too," Cath said, holding on just a little longer than she normally would.

"I'm so glad you're ok. I was so worried." Kono pulled back and gave her friend the once over. She was happy to see no outward signs of injury.

"I know you were, Kono." Catherine took her friends hands and squeezed tightly. "I'm sorry I put you in that position. If there had been any other way … "

"It's fine," Kono waved her off. "I understand. I would have done the same thing in your position."

Chin hung back while Kono and Catherine greeted each other then once they were done he stepped forward and wrapped Catherine in a warm hug.

"It's so good to see you," he said with a smile.

"Thanks," Catherine said softly.

"So," Kono rubbed her hands together, "let's get to it."

Chin sat down on the loveseat and placed his laptop on the coffee table in front of him. Danny pointed Kono to the chair he'd been sitting in but she waved him off and took a spot on the floor.

"Feels good on my back," she explained when he gave her a questioning look. "It's been a little stiff since I sacked on the couch at the office last night. This way I can stretch it out."

She leaned forward and placed her tablet on the table by way of example.

Catherine and Steve resumed their spots on the couch and Danny once again took the chair across from them.

"So, what did you find out about Dmitri Makarovich?" Chin asked when they were all settled.

Catherine quickly filled Chin and Kono in on everything she told Steve and Danny earlier and just as she finished up Chin's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID.

"Excuse me, I've been waiting for this call," he said. He stepped into the kitchen and the others could tell by the tone of his voice and his repeated 'could you please say that again,' requests that he was most likely talking to someone on an iffy connection. The caller must have found a way to get their point across though because five minutes later Chin came back to the living room with a look of excitement on his face.

"Where did you say the real Dmitri Makarovich was born?" he asked Catherine.

"As far as my friend at the consulate in Kiev could tell, and as you know the flow of information between Russia and Ukraine is a little unreliable these days, he was born in a small town called Borovsk. Why?"

"Well, that's very interesting," Chin smiled widely. "That call was from a contact I have who deals in gray area international money movement. He said he can't swear to anything at this point, but as far as he can tell the money that came out of those offshore accounts was initially routed to a bank in Moscow. Then just this afternoon the entire amount, over twenty million dollars, was transferred again to small off-shoot bank, owned by the same conglomerate, and located in … "

"Borovsk?" they all guessed in unison.

"Exactly." Chin returned to the loveseat and began furiously tapping keys on his laptop.

"Now the question is did Riley Winstead know the second transfer was going to happen or is she being double crossed by her partner?" Catherine asked.

"Whichever it is," Steve said excitedly, "we're getting really close. I can feel it."

* * *

Ten minutes later, while the others were pulling together all the evidence they had so far and forming a strategy to move forward, Kono had her phone pressed to her ear, taking notes furiously. At first she tried to type on her tablet while the person on the other end spouted off information but eventually she gave up and motioned to Danny for a pencil and paper. He grabbed the ones beside the phone and handed them to her and she continued to take down information. Finally her note taking slowed and the call seemed to be winding down.

"Thank you," she said as she hung up and turned to the rest of the team.

"According to air traffic control four private planes took off today. One was registered to Sunshine Franchise Consulting and Brokerage, a local company. It was transporting some of their upper management staff to a convention in Denver. Two were registered to tourists who were on the island for vacation."

"And the fourth one?" Steve asked.

"Information on the fourth one is a bit murkier. It's registered in the name of a company called Wailiea Imports. The pilot filed a flight plan to Los Angeles but refused to file a full manifest. According to the guy I was talking to the police have had a few run-ins with the owner of the plane. A man named Roberto Rodriquez. They think he might be using the plane to ferry drug money, but they've never been able to make anything stick."

"Where was the plane headed?" Danny asked.

"That's another interesting thing. The flight plan said Los Angeles but before the plane left Oahu radar range the air traffic controllers noticed it was off course. They called LA and were told the plane never arrived. There was no distress call so they're calling around now to find out if it diverted to another airport."

"It could have landed at a private airstrip." Catherine said. "There are plenty of those in California."

"They're checking that out too. They said they'll call back if they find anything."

"You think Makarovich … or the fake Makarovich … was on that plane," Chin asked.

"I think there's a good chance he was," Steve said. "He's obviously getting ready to head back to Russia. We need to find him before that happens."

They didn't even have a chance to process the new information yet when Steve's phone rang.

"What have you got, Duke?"

The team held their collective breath, encouraged by the way his face brightened as he listened. He never removed his arm from around Catherine and as the conversation went on he squeezed her shoulder a little tighter.

"That's excellent. Thanks." Steve's excitement was now palpable. "Can you do me a favor and have Tomas Ruiz brought over for interrogation. I need to talk to him tonight." He listened for a few more seconds then replied, "Thanks, Duke," and hung up with a smile.

He looked at the rest of the team and a grin split his face.

"We've got her." He kissed Catherine on the temple. "The serial numbers on the money in Simmons' pocket when he was arrested match serial numbers from marked bills the DEA uses for buys here in Hawaii. She must have lifted it from the local office when no one was looking. Duke is gonna call them and let them know but … this is it … we got her."

"So why did you ask to see Ruiz?" Danny asked.

"I wanna find out if he knows more what's going on than he claims. If we confront him with what we already know, not only about the serial numbers but about Makarovich and Winstead, maybe we can catch him off guard and get him to tell us everything."

"What are we waiting for then," Danny said as he stood up and grabbed his phone and keys from the coffee table.

Steve stood too then looked at Catherine and hesitated.

"Go. I'll be fine," she said confidently.

"Are you sure? I mean … what kind of arrangements did you make to get back tonight?"

Until that very moment Steve had managed to push the thought of Catherine leaving again out of his mind.

"I said I'd call them if I needed them. And I will," she put her hand on his forearm. "But right now I'm fine here. You go and interview Ruiz."

Steve looked hesitantly at Chin and Kono. He trusted them with his own life. And he trusted them with Catherine's. But if they had to leave unexpectedly Catherine would be alone and he didn't like the thought of that.

"We'll be fine, Steve, go," Kono said, then as if reading his mind, "We won't leave her here alone. I promise."

"We got this, Steve," Chin said. "If anything comes up we won't leave till we know Cath is safe.

Steve smiled and nodded. "Thanks," then he kissed Catherine, told her he'd be back soon, and headed out the door with Danny.

* * *

**HPD**

**Tuesday 9:30 P.M.**

Steve used the lights and sirens to make it to HPD in record time. When they arrived Duke had the prisoner waiting. Steve and Danny made their way quickly to the same room they had interviewed the young man in just seven hours earlier. This time Steve took the seat across from Ruiz, who was still attempting to convey an air of confidence but looked slightly unsettled at having been rousted to talk to Five-O at this hour, and Danny stood against the wall.

"I don't have any time to play games, Mr. Ruiz," Steve said as soon as he took his seat, "so I'm going to give you one chance at this. If you tell us the truth I'll see what I can do about reducing your charges. If you don't, I'll make sure you rot in here."

"I've told you the truth up till now," Ruiz said defensively.

"You've told us a version of the truth," Steve said forcefully as he leveled his stare at the young man. "The question I have is, is it your version or is it the version someone wanted you to tell us?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The mask of bravado Ruiz was wearing began to slip.

"What's the real name of the man who claims to be Dmitri Makarovich?" Steve pressed on.

Ruiz couldn't hide the look of shock that crossed his face. "I don't … I'm not …"

Steve sensed an opening and re-doubled his efforts. "Think very carefully, Mr. Ruiz. Remember what I told you. One chance to tell the truth. We know about Agent Winstead. We know about the flight off the island. We know about the money being moved to a secondary bank. We know that the real Dmitri Makarovich is dead."

Ruiz stared at Steve, his mouth hanging slightly open.

Steve could see fear in his eyes.

Clearly this was not going the way he expected.

"You may be scared of him, Mr. Ruiz," Steve said. "But you should be more scared of me. Now you can tell us his real name, and everything you know about him, or I can just go ahead and let him think you did."

"What do you mean?" Ruiz asked fearfully.

Danny just smiled as he watched Steve work.

"Don't you suppose all the other inmates thought it was odd you got pulled over here tonight to talk to Five-O?" Steve leaned back in his chair as though he was completely relaxed. "All I have to do is put the word out that you told me everything I want to know and how long do you think it'll be till someone does to you what they did to Simmons."

"You wouldn't." The fear was beginning to roll off Ruiz in waves.

"I can't help what people assume," Steve said. "If I walk out of here with a big smile on my face, and ask Sgt. Lukela to walk you back to your cell and say 'thank you' loud enough for everyone to hear, they might draw the wrong conclusion. But what can I do?" Steve shrugged.

"And if I tell you anything I'm a dead man." Ruiz pounded on the table with shackled fists.

"No, if you tell me I can protect you," Steve said evenly.

Ruiz took a deep breath and Steve could see him weighing his options and realizing none of them were good.

"His real name is Vazov Dmitrievich. He used Makarovich's documents to sneak into the country. I met him back in NYC when I was a seventeen year old kid running away from a bad situation."

"And?" Steve asked.

"He took me in and gave me a job and a place to stay. He made me feel like I belonged. I felt like I owed him so when he started asking me to make drops for him I couldn't refuse."

It was a story both Steve and Danny had heard a thousand times. Vulnerable runaways lured into a life of crime by the promise of a safe place to stay and daily hot meals.

"We were strictly small time. Nickel and dime deals. Then he met Riley Winstead. He started working as her informant, giving her information on the competition so she'd shut them down and we could take over their territory, and then the next thing I knew they were a couple. He came to me one day and told me she had all these ideas for how they could get rich and live like the big drug dealers she was never able to put behind bars."

"And that's when the partygoer murders started?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. But I never murdered anybody," Ruiz insisted hotly. "And I never delivered the tainted drugs. I was strictly a go between. Moved money and people around to wherever Vaz needed them. That's all I did. I swear."

"And Riley Winstead?" Danny asked from his position against the wall.

"She and Vaz planned everything together. She was in charge of making sure the feds never got too close. She tipped Vaz off to what was going on with the investigation. She's the one that killed that guy in Dallas. Gus what's his name."

Once Ruiz started talking the information flowed like a faucet.

"Now tell me about what happens next." Steve leaned forward and placed his forearms on the table.

Ruiz exhaled. "Vaz got jumpy because he thought the feds were getting close. He was afraid Riley was gonna blow it and they were gonna get caught. When she first came up with the plan to frame the Five-O agents he was willing to let her do it but then it all started to go sideways and he got nervous. That's when he decided to …"

"Decided to what … ?" Danny asked.

"He called his friends at the bank in Russia and had them move the money into an account in his name only. Then he told took a flight off the island this afternoon without telling Riley he was going. He's cutting her loose." Ruiz said.

"Where did the plane go?" Steve asked. "We know it didn't land in LA."

"I don't know. I swear," Ruiz said. "But he hired me a new lawyer and the guy said he could get me out on bail at a hearing tomorrow morning. Then I'm supposed to catch a flight to the mainland and meet Vaz in NYC. We're gonna figure out a way to get to Russia from there."

Steve looked at Danny then back at Ruiz.

"Well, Mr. Ruiz, you're going to be going to that bail hearing after all and then making that meeting in NYC. "

"You want me to flip on Dmitrievich?" Ruiz asked incredulously. "I'd have to have a death wish."

"It's up to you," Steve said, looking the young man straight in the eye. "But like I said, if you cooperate in this case, and if you really didn't have anything to do with the murders, I'm sure we can get you into Witness Protection and you can get a fresh start. You're still young. But we're running out of time and you have to decide now."

Ruiz considered his options. He had to admit that a fresh start sounded good. Being a courier for a penny ante drug dealer was one thing but once the murders started he wanted no part of it. Problem was by that time he was trapped. He was afraid if he tried to leave Vaz would kill him because he knew too much.

"You can protect me?" He asked one more time.

"We can," Steve assured him.

"Ok, I'll do it."

Steve nodded his head approvingly. "I'll make sure to let everyone here know how uncooperative you were at this meeting so you shouldn't have any problems tonight," he said. "Once you get out on bail someone will contact you and work out the details of what comes next. You made the right choice."

"I hope you're right," Ruiz said.

"Don't worry," Steve replied as he stood up from the table. "I am."

* * *

As Steve and Danny made their way back into the squad room they were met with a flurry of activity. Officers were moving around the room at a hurried pace, donning Kevlar, double-checking their service weapons, then checking with the duty officer to get their assignment before rushing out the door.

The air was charged with electricity and the scene had the look and feel of controlled chaos.

"What's going on, Duke?" Steve said as he and Danny ducked two officers making their way towards the door with a tactical shield.

"We just got a call for all available officers," Duke said as he grabbed a semi-automatic weapon from the gun vault behind the front desk. "There's a hostage situation down by the beach. We're a little light on details right now but we're scrambling all our resources."

Before Steve got a chance to ask any other questions was his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw Kamekona's name.

"What's up, Kamekona?" he said as he answered. "I'm a little busy here."

Danny could tell by the look on Steve's face, and the way he froze to the spot where he was standing, something was very wrong.

"Big Kahuna," Steve could hear Kamekona's voice tremble, "I'm here with a friend of yours. I need you to come right away."

"Kamekona, are you okay?" Steve asked.

"Just come quick," the big man said. "And your friend said she would like to see Catherine as well."

"We'll be right there!"

Steve dropped his phone in his pocket and turned to Danny. "I know where the hostage situation is. Riley Winstead is at the shrimp truck. She has Kamekona. She wants to see Catherine."

Steve headed for the door and as they stepped outside Danny grabbed his partner's arm and stopped him.

"What are you gonna do?"

"We're gonna go down there and find out what's going on," Steve said.

"Are you gonna call Catherine?"

No." Steve shook his head decisively

"That's not fair Steve. You heard what Catherine said earlier. When she needed help she went to Kamekona and he helped her. Without hesitation. If he needs help now and you keep it from her …"

"Riley Winstead is unstable," Steve argued.

"And Catherine is a highly trained officer," Danny pointed out. "And she's gonna want to be there."

Steve took a deep breath. "I know. You're right. I'm just … "

"I get it," Danny said. "You want to protect her. But you and I both know Catherine would kick your ass if she thought you were trying to keep her away."

"That's the truth," Steve nodded.

"She can handle it, Steve." Danny softened his tone.

"Let me be perfectly clear," Steve said adamantly. "It isn't that I don't think Catherine can handle this. She's just been through a lot in the last 2 days."

"I know. And there's no way we let her get close enough to Winstead for anything to happen. But you have to let her be part of this takedown," Danny argued.

"You're right. I'll call her on the way."

* * *

Steve called Chin's phone from the car and asked to be put on speaker. Once he was he filled Catherine, Chin and Kono in on what was happening and the few details they knew for sure. They listened tensely as he recounted Kamekona's phone call and Riley Winstead's request to see Catherine.

"I have to come, Steve," Catherine said, anticipating his disapproval.

"I know you do," he said, casting a sideways glance to Danny who had called Catherine's reaction perfectly. "Where's you TAC vest?"

"I don't have it with me. I do have my service weapon though." Catherine stowed the weapon high up in the cabinet above Danny's refrigerator after he arrived home. Even with no children in the house she still felt better with the weapon out of reach.

"I have an extra TAC vest in my car," Kono said. "We can stop on the way over and pick it up. We have to drive by my place on the way to Kamekona's anyway."

"Ok, sounds like a plan," Steve said. "Find us when you get there."

"Will do." Chin disconnected the call and the three team members headed out the door.

* * *

Danny and Steve arrived to find several dozen HPD officers working to bring the scene under control. They were in the process of creating a large perimeter and pushing back onlookers, most of whom had no idea how real the danger was at the moment.

Grover's SWAT van was pulled up at the edge of the parking lot and he was currently talking to the first officers on the scene. He needed to find out anything he could about the people inside, both hostage and hostage taker, before he made contact.

His men were surveying the area in search of the best vantage points in case they needed to take a shot.

"What's it look like?" Steve asked as he and Danny approached the SWAT captain.

"As far as we can tell there are two people inside the building," Grover said as he tightened his TAC vest. "The perp and one hostage. Duke said you know who the perp is?"

"Yeah, I do," Steve said. "It's Riley Winstead."

"The DEA agent?" Grover asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah, you know her?" Danny answered.

"Hell yes, I know her," Grover grumbled. "She's had my team running around like chickens with their heads cut off for the last two days following leads and going down rabbit holes trying to find Catherine Rollins."

"Yeah," Danny said angrily, "well … as it turns out _she_ was the mastermind of the partygoer murders. Her and her Russian boyfriend. She was trying to put the blame on Catherine and Steve so she and Dmitri … who by the way is really Vazov … could run off together and live happily ever after in some vodka-soaked fantasyland. Except when it came right down to it he took off alone and left her holding the bag."

"I figured there was something weird going on," Grover said. "I know Catherine would never … and you would never … I didn't believe it for a second. Luckily Samantha is in Chicago with her mother this week so she didn't hear about any of this. You know how she idolizes Catherine."

Steve nodded. "I do."

"Any idea why she came here?" Grover asked.

"She thinks Kamekona has been hiding Catherine," Steve said as he surveyed the front of the trailer. He knew that with the window gate closed there was no way the SWAT guys would be able to get a shot.

"Why?" Grover asked.

"Probably because Kamekona has been hiding Catherine," Danny said.

"Ahhh. That explains it."

"Have you made contact yet?" Danny asked.

"Not yet. The first officers on the scene said when they arrived she was screaming that she wanted to see Catherine Rollins."

"Well she's here." Steve turned just in time to see Chin's familiar car pull into the parking lot. Seconds after it stopped Catherine, Kono and Chin jumped out. They were already outfitted in TAC vests and they moved quickly towards the back of the car and opened the trunk to retrieve their tactical weapons.

Steve met them at the edge of the parking lot.

"What's happening?" Catherine asked.

"Were still working on the details. Grover hasn't been able to make contact yet," he said as they ducked back under the yellow police tape. Steve noticed several of the officers doing a double take when they saw Catherine but she was so focused on the task at hand she didn't notice. "As far as we know, Winstead is inside and so is Kamekona. First officers on the scene said she was screaming that she wanted to talk to you."

"Ok," Catherine looked at Steve, "then let's make that happen."

They walked the short distance to the makeshift command center and joined Danny and Grover.

"Do we know what kind of weapons she has?" Chin asked.

"No," Grover answered. "But we're set up and ready to make contact."

"Let's hear what she has to say," Steve said.

Grover pushed the button to put the call on speaker and dialed Riley Winstead's cell phone.

"Is Rollins here?" she demanded as soon as picked up.

"I'm here," Catherine said.

"Ah … the elusive Catherine Rollins," Winstead said in a sing-song voice. "I knew I could coax you out of hiding if I used the right bait."

Catherine kept her voice even and her tone neutral.

"Before I talk to you I want to know Kamekona is ok."

"Oh yes, your friend with the bad delivery of shrimp," Riley sneered. "He's fine."

Catherine looked quizzically at Steve who mouthed "I'll explain later."

"I want to talk to him." Catherine said.

They could hear a little shuffling back and forth over the line and then Kamekona's voice. "I'm fine. Don't do anything stupid out there."

"We're gonna get you out of there Kamekona. Just be patient, ok?" Catherine assured him.

"How sweet," Riley snarled as she grabbed the phone back. "Now it's my turn to get something from you."

"Go ahead," Catherine said calmly.

"How did you find out about the place on Waimai? I was so careful. If you didn't find that place none of this would have happened."

Catherine looked at Steve and he nodded.

"I saw the address written on a slip of paper at the warehouse the day of the first deal. Later it showed up on the GPS on Simmons' phone."

Catherine stuck to the dry facts so as not to incite Riley's anger.

"Damn," Riley sighed. "It's always the little details that trip you up. I told Dmitri to take notes in his phone, it doesn't leave a paper trail, but he never got that hang of that. There are so many little details. So many chances for something to go wrong."

"Why don't send Kamekona out and then we can talk about it." Catherine said.

She was going to do everything in her power to make sure her friend came out of this unharmed. He was there for her when she needed him and she intended to be there for him now that their positions were reversed."

"Why don't you come in here and talk to me?" Riley challenged.

"That's not going to happen," Steve said adamantly.

"Ahh … Commander McGarrett," Riley said. "I knew you'd be close at hand. You must be enjoying this."

"No, I'm not," Steve said honestly. "There's nothing about this situation I take pleasure in."

"Tell me, Commander," Riley shifted her focus to Steve. "When did you figure out it was me?"

Steve used the same straight ahead facts only approach Catherine had used.

"The fingerprint report."

"I knew that was gonna be trouble."

They heard Riley pound her fist on the stainless steel counter and Steve's back stiffened. The worst thing that could happen was for her anger to escalate when she was in such a small space with Kamekona and a gun.

"Listen, no one has to get hurt here." Steve tried to restore calm.

"It's all over for me," Riley scoffed. "He's gonna walk away scot free and I'm gonna spend the rest of my life in prison."

"We're on his trail," Steve said. "He'll never get out of the country."

"What do you mean? What do you know?" Riley asked eagerly.

Steve could tell she desperately wanted any information he had on the whereabouts of the man who left her holding the bag for these hideous crimes.

He hoped he could use that to convince her to release her hostage and then give herself up.

"Let Kamekona go and we can talk about it," Steve offered.

"We just needed enough money to retire on forever. Is that so hard to understand. So a few people had to die in the process. I didn't shove the drugs up their nose. They did it to themselves."

Riley was starting to unspool.

The team exchanged concerned glances.

"I tried to cover Dmitri's ass and now look where I am," Riley said disgustedly.

"I'm not gonna lie to you," Steve kept his voice calm. "You're going to prison for the rest of your life. But if you come out now, and no one else gets hurt, and you help us …"

He knew if he offered her some pie in the sky story about how she could walk free she'd know he was lying.

He hoped he'd get more mileage with her for being honest.

"It would serve him right if I did," Riley spat out. "I mean he had no problem taking off with all the money and leaving me to take the fall."

"You're not the first woman to find herself in this situation," Catherine said. "But you can turn the tables on him by helping us."

"What would you know about disloyal men? Commander McGarrett was like a laser focused guided missile during this whole thing. There has no way he was gonna leave you hanging."

Catherine looked at Steve and mouthed "Thank you".

"I mean maybe I've just worked around drug dealers too long but I'm used to people who throw their associates under the bus at the drop of a hat," Riley said.

"You have a decision to make here," Steve said calmly, trying to get the conversation back on track. "Do you want to let him get away or do you want to make him pay for what he did."

There were several long seconds of silence before Riley spoke again.

"I have no choice. I made my bed the day the first kid died in that warehouse in New York City. My only chance was to put the blame on the two of you long enough to get out of the country."

"That's not true," Catherine said. "You always have a choice."

"I agree," Riley said, the tone in her voice changed as though she'd made a decision. "And now my dear Catherine you've got a choice to make. In 5 minutes I'm gonna blow your friend's head off unless you come in here and take his place."

Steve started to speak but Catherine cut him off. "Let me get back to you."

She gave Grover the throat slash motion and he killed the connection.

"Don't even start, Catherine. You're not going in there alone," Steve crossed his arms and prepared to face off with her.

"He's right," Danny said as Chin and Kono nodded their agreement.

"No, wait, listen to me. Do you remember about a month ago when Kamekona called and said he was getting hassled by the Fire Marshall?" Catherine said.

"Yeah, I remember." Steve had no idea what she was getting at.

"Well, you remember how I came over to help him understand the citation?"

Steve nodded and she continued.

"One of the things they wanted was another form of egress."

"You mean there's a second door?" Grover asked.

"Not exactly," Catherine said. "But there's something even better."

"What?" Kono asked.

"The Fire Marshall provided him with a list of options and because he's Kamekona he wanted the flashiest one. So last week he installed a quick open device on the metal gate that covers the front window. It rolls all the way up in less than 5 seconds."

They all turned their heads and looked at the trailer.

"Are you sure it works," Steve asked.

"Positive," Catherine said. "He demonstrated it for me so many times the day it was installed I thought he was gonna burn out the motor. There are three switches in the trailer. One is right inside the door. All I need to do is get one step in and hit that switch"

Chin studied the size of the opening.

He'd seen it hundreds of times of course but never with thought of a tactical assault in mind.

"The opening is big enough we can have the entire trailer covered between the four of us," he said.

Steve looked at Catherine then at the rest of the team.

As much as he hated the thought of her going into that trailer with and armed Riley Winstead he knew it was probably their best chance of getting Kamekona out alive.

He made a quick decision.

"We need some kind of riser in front. About two feet tall. To account for the height of the trailer."

"My guys can do that." Grover headed off to make the arrangements.

"Quietly please," Danny said.

He was afraid if Riley was alerted to too much movement in front of the trailer she might do something stupid.

"Listen Cath, no games. As soon as you get in there you hit the switch," Steve said.

"I will. I promise. Just give me a few seconds to get Kamekona out of the line of fire."

"Once he's out you stand directly in front of the door. When that gate goes up we need to know where you're going to be if we have to take a shot."

Steve turned and looked at the rest of the team.

"Does that positioning work for everybody?"

"Yes," the all verbalized.

"Chin, you go far left. Kono, center left. Danny, far right. I'll take center right. If it looks like she's gonna fire a shot take her out."

Grover came hurriedly back to the group. "The riser is in place."

"This is gonna work," Catherine said confidently.

Steve nodded at her and nodded. "Let's do it."

Catherine signaled to Grover and he dialed Riley's phone again.

She answered on the first ring.

"What did you decide, Ms. Rollins?" Riley asked.

"I'm coming in," Catherine answered resolutely.

* * *

As Catherine slowly opened the back door of the trailer and stepped in she put both hands in the air to show she wasn't armed. Riley Winstead was at the far end of the trailer, sitting on the counter with her gun aimed casually at the Kamekona's temple. Catherine made eye contact with him and smiled reassuringly.

He looked a little ruffled by the experience but physically unharmed.

"I'm here. Now let him go," Catherine said.

Riley rolled her eyes and used her gun to point towards the door. "I've enjoyed your company immensely Mr. Kamekona but I have a hostage that interests me more now so it's time for you to go."

"You didn't need to do this," Kamekona said as he approached Catherine.

"It's fine. I'll see you in a few minutes," she assured him as she stepped back and motioned for him to leave.

Once he did Catherine took two steps and positioned herself by the switch.

"If you try to go out that door you'll be dead before you hit the pavement," Riley said, taking a few steps towards Catherine but still maintaining a safe distance.

She'd read Catherine's personnel file.

She wasn't going to give her rival a chance to disarm her.

"Apparently you and I are not so different after all," Riley said as she leaned on the counter an kept her gun trained on Catherine.

"How so?" Catherine asked.

"In the end the men in both of our lives were perfectly willing to leave us holding the bag. Mine left me to face the music for our crimes all by myself and yours left you to face an armed crazy woman alone. Now we're both going to die."

Catherine reached out and hit the button and the front gate rose immediately.

Riley Winstead, startled by the sound, turned towards it and found herself face to face with the four other members of Five-O, weapons raised, with Steve's sig pointed right between her eyes.

"I'm not alone," Catherine said. "And no one is dying tonight."

* * *

Jack Schmidt arrived on the scene just before the takedown, accompanied by a cadre of agents from the local office. Duke had called earlier to inform them that the money found in Simmons' pocket was from their reserve of marked cash. That, combined with the fact that Riley Winstead was currently holding her gun to the head of an innocent civilian, made it very clear she was up to her neck in trouble. He didn't know exactly what was going on yet but he was sure everything he thought he knew about the case up until this point was wrong.

Riley Winstead was handcuffed and brought out of the trailer then read her rights and taken into state custody pending transfer to federal custody at the earliest possible date.

The Five-O team, because of the obvious conflict of interest, stepped away and let HPD handle the details of the arrest. Winstead stared ahead silently as her partner, or she guessed now former partner, watched as she was placed in the back of a squad car.

"I guess I owe you an apology," Schmidt said, directing his comment to Catherine as he approached the Five-O team sitting at a table in front of the now quiet food truck with Kamekona and Grover.

Kamekona allowed himself to be checked out by paramedics but refused a trip to the hospital insisting he was physically unharmed. The emergency workers gave him a blanket to help ward off shock but quickly realized it didn't cover his large frame so they gave him a second. Both were still draped across his shoulders and he sat with his friends.

"Accepted," Catherine said. "You were just following the evidence."

"The fake evidence," Steve added from his position beside her.

"Yes, Commander," Schmidt grimaced. "You've made your opinion on the evidence abundantly clear."

Catherine smiled at Steve and he put his hand on her knee and squeezed.

"Obviously the warrant for your arrest has been rescinded," he said to Catherine.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"I have a press conference scheduled for first thing in the morning and my bosses wanted me to assure you we will clear your name completely. I feel terrible about what happened. If there's anything I can do to make it up to any of you … "

"Actually, there's a guy named Tomas Ruiz," Steve said. "He was part of the Makarovich … well I guess Dmitrievich … crew. He's been with him from the start. He can give you everything you need to put the guy away for life and I'm pretty sure he can lead you right to him before he gets out of the country."

"What's the catch?" Schmidt asked.

"He's currently in state custody on a drug charge," Steve said. "He was part of Riley's distraction campaign. He has a bail hearing tomorrow morning. Once he's out he's supposed to fly back to the mainland to meet up with Dmitrievich."

"What do you need me to do?" Schmidt asked.

"He's willing to help but he needs a WITSEC deal. I'm not saying he's an angel but you take your witnesses as you find them, right? He's flying out to LA right after the hearing. So probably the 11:30 A.M. flight. After that he's headed for NYC. You need to get someone on that plane with him to seal the deal and he'll take you right to Dmitrievich."

"Consider it done," Schmidt said.

"Thanks," Steve reached out and shook his hand.

"No, thank you," Schmidt said. "I'll be in touch."

"So, are we through here?" Steve asked.

"I know I am," Chin said.

"I can't wait to sleep in my nice comfortable bed," Kono sighed.

"Don't expect to see me before noon tomorrow," Danny said as he stretched his arms above his head.

"Noon sounds good to me," Steve nodded. "Let's make that tomorrow's start time."

He turned to Catherine with a smile. "You ready to go home?"

"Definitely," she kissed him on the cheek. "As soon as we stop and pick up Cammie."

* * *

The following Sunday was a picture perfect Hawaiian day, with lots of sunshine and a beautiful island breeze coming in off the water. Steve and Catherine decided to throw a BBQ to thank everyone involved in the investigation for their help and to give them all the chance to relax and have a little fun as a group.

It had been a long week.

On Wednesday afternoon they attended a large memorial service to honor the victims who died in the Oahu warehouse.

Twelve in all.

Catherine introduced the team to Caroline Hidalgo, the grieving mother who set the entire investigation in motion by giving Catherine her son's burner phone.

Caroline hugged Catherine and thanked her for bringing the people responsible for her son's death to justice. She apologized for everything Catherine went through at the hands of Riley Winstead but Catherine smiled and said it was more than worth it to get the killers behind bars.

The rest of the week was taken up with paperwork, statements and interviews about the case and the rogue DEA agent that wreaked such havoc on their lives.

Kamekona's shrimp stand was a federal crime scene and thus had been closed for days. He gave daily interviews to local reporters, standing in front of the crime scene tape, assuring everyone he would be open again as soon as possible. Finally on Saturday the feds packed up and went home and after a day and a half of cleaning and scrubbing, Kamekona was set to reopen Monday for regular business.

Saturday also brought news of the capture of Vazov Dmitrievich in NYC. The arrest of Riley Winstead sent him deeper underground and made him even more careful and secretive about his plans. There were several times when the agents working with Tomas Ruiz feared the young man may have been compromised, but in the end that wasn't the case.

Dmitrievich attempted to board a cargo ship that would take him to the coast of Portugal where he would then hop a plane to Russia. The ship was surrounded by dozens of DEA and FBI agents and Dmitrievich and his entire crew were arrested without incident.

Tomas Ruiz was in protective custody at an undisclosed location, the feds more than happy to reward him with a new identity for his help in getting a wanted criminal off the streets. Without his information Dmitrievich would have surely slipped back to Russia, forever out of the grasp of US law enforcement.

True to his word, Jack Schmidt apologized publicly at his press conference Wednesday morning to everyone involved in the case, but most especially to Catherine. The arrest of one their own agents left the DEA red-faced and they launched an immediate investigation into how Riley Winstead could have planned and committed the partygoer murders right under the noses of her colleagues.

They promised sweeping changes to assure nothing similar happened in the future and the team hoped they actually followed through, though the track record of federal agencies making actual changes, even in the face of a disaster such as this, wasn't good.

Riley Winstead was transferred to Federal custody and sent back to the mainland to face a list of charges ranging from murder to falsifying evidence. She was assigned a federal public defender and immediately invoked her right to remain silent.

It was too early to tell exactly what would happen going forward but the evidence against her was overwhelming and the team knew from experience she would most likely cop a plea. There was very little chance they'd ever have to testify at trial.

Still if they were needed they were ready.

All the individual states in which the attacks occurred agreed to cede jurisdiction to the federal government while retaining their right to move forward at a later date if she was ever released from federal custody.

Which they were all confident would never happen.

By the time Sunday came they were all more than ready for a day of fun and camaraderie and maybe more importantly, a day to forget the past and celebrate the future.

It started off with a game of pickup volleyball, which in predictable fashion went from fun to slightly more serious as the competitive natures of those involved kicked in. Both Grover and Kamekona proved to be deceptively fast for big men, not to mention they could spike the ball with ease, and after ninety hard fought minutes everyone agreed to call it a draw.

Chin and Leilani then challenged Adam and Kono to a game of Frisbee tag while Duke and Grover began a competition to see who could throw Cammie's ball the farthest, which Cammie thought was the best game ever invented, and the beach was filled with the sounds of fun and laughter all afternoon.

As dinner time approached, Grace and Samantha were playing with Scout and Cammie along the waterline, giggling with delight as the dogs chased the waves. Samantha had been asking for a dog since they moved to Hawaii and watching her have so much fun made Grover seriously consider getting her one.

Kamekona was holding court at a table on the lanai, recounting his ordeal with Riley Winstead as Adam, Chin and Flicka listened with rapt attention. Catherine, Kono and Leilani smiled as they heard snippets of what he was saying while they carried food out from the kitchen and placed it on the large banquet style table that had been set up just for the occasion. There was so much food they had to put the deserts on the counter in the kitchen to be brought out later.

They had decided to go potluck since their usual caterer was out of commission and it seemed everyone went a little overboard, most bringing two or three dishes instead of just one.

On her way down to the grill to check on the progress of the main course Catherine stopped and gave Kamekona a large hug and reiterated to his rapt audience that he was indeed the hero in this story. He beamed at her as she made her way across the sand and Kono and Leilani joined the group around the table. He asked them if they wanted him to start again from the beginning since they missed the first part but they both smiled, each having heard the story several times before, and told him to pick up where he left off.

Duke and Grover sat and watched the girls play in the water as they talked about the upcoming football season. Grover hoped this was the year his beloved Bears finally got it together as Duke celebrated the fact that his adopted team, the Seahawks, not only won last year's Super Bowl but looked like strong favorites to repeat.

Steve was at the grill, Longboard in hand, keeping a close eye on the main course while Danny stood beside him, pointing out which meat he thought needed basted and which needed turned.

They couldn't decide exactly what to serve as a main course and after debating it for the better part of a day, with everyone adding their opinion, Steve and Catherine finally decided that in addition to the old standby of steaks they would also serve BBQ chicken.

As Catherine approached to get an ETA on the meat she heard Danny talking.

"And don't think I've forgotten I said I was going to give Catherine a good talking to when this was all over," he said.

"About what?" she asked from a few inches behind him.

Steve laughed as Danny jumped a foot in the air and grabbed his chest.

"Seriously you have GOT to stop doing that. I'm going to get you a bell to wear around your neck," Danny grumbled.

"The rest of the food is ready," Catherine said, pointing the table on the lanai.

"Then we're good to go," Steve said as he kissed her on the lips, then picked up a large serving tray and started taking the chicken and steaks off the grill. "Let's eat."

He carried the platter up to the lanai and placed in on the table. The guests all filled their plates and pulled chairs around the tables set up on the beach.

Once everyone was seated Steve stood up, raised his glass and said, "I'd like to propose a toast. To team work."

"To team work," the others echoed as they raised their beverages.

* * *

Steve and Catherine lay in bed, wrapped up together, reliving the memories of a fabulous day spent with friends.

It truly was a celebration.

As the party drew to a close everyone pitched in to clean up the backyard and the lanai while Grace and Catherine boxed up the leftovers for people to take home.

As they said goodbye, they all promised to meet at Kamekona's for lunch tomorrow to celebrate his Grand Reopening.

Soon after the last guest left Steve and Catherine made their way to bed.

They decided anything that still needed done could wait until morning.

Cammie was asleep on her bed across the room, snoring away softly. Catherine had a feeling she was sleeping off a few too many treats snuck from the table. Tomorrow they would have to go for a nice long swim.

"We're really lucky to have such great friends," she said as she snuggled up to Steve's side.

"We are," he agreed as he ran his hand down her arm and leaned over to kiss her bare shoulder. "You need to stop scaring Danny though," he laughed then shifted and began kissing his way along her jawline.

"I think it's funny." She tilted her head back to give him better access.

"I kind of do too," he admitted as he rolled her onto his back and hovered over her. "But let's not talk about Danny right now."

"Did you have something else in mind, Commander," she asked flirtily as she raised her leg and ran her foot along the back of his calf in a way she knew he loved.

After staring in her eyes and enjoying the sensation for a full minute he pressed himself down against her, letting her feel how much he wanted her, as his lips began nibbling at her neck.

"I'm still celebrating," he said between kisses.

"Mmmmmm," she moaned as his lips lingered on a spot he knew was especially sensitive. "Not that I'm complaining but I thought you might be worn out being as we just celebrated in the shower."

"I'm also making up for lost time," Steve grinned as his hands pushed her tank top first up then off. He tossed it aside and lowered his lips to her breast and her moans began anew.

"We've made up for lost time many, many times since I got back on Tuesday," Catherine sighed as she plunged her hands into his hair.

"Uh –huh," he agreed, switching to the other breast.

"We were only apart for one night," Catherine pointed out.

"But two days. Two long days," Steve reminded her.

"We've been making up for lost time for six days now," Catherine said, though it was clear she wasn't really complaining.

Steve raised up and cocked his head to the side as if thinking. "That seems about right."

"How so?" she laughed as she placed her hands on the sides of his face.

Steve looked at her with naked honesty. "Because every day without you feels like a week. So it takes seven days to make up for one night apart."

Catherine bit her lip and blinked back tears, then her face lit up with a playful grin.

"That's it, Commander," she said as she pulled him back down on top of her. "Prepare for a celebration that's gonna knock your socks off."

**The End**

* * *

If you are not on the REALMcRoll email list and would like to be, drop us an email at realmcroll at yahoo dot com with "Add me, please!" in the subject line. You'll get updates, contests, and fun McRoller games.

Looking for links to all the REAL World McRoll stories in one place? Check out our Tumblr page mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com.


End file.
